#ResidentEvil6: Final Chapter Adds “My Girl” Star Lee Joon-gi

South Korean “flower boy” icon Lee Joon-gi is ready to make a name for himself in Hollywood with his role in the next instalment of the “Resident Evil” franchise.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Joon-gi’s agency Namoo Actors confirmed that the actor has indeed been cast in “Resident Evil: The Final Chapter”.

The confirmation came after the franchise star, Milla Jovovich, posted an Instagram photo of herself with Lee Joon-gi on the film set.

Both of them are involved in the production that is currently underway in South Africa. In her Instagram post, Jovovich wrote: “Working for the last few nights with the incredible 3rd Dan Tae Kwon Do master and actor Joon Gi @actor_jg has been insanely fun and so inspiring. Makes me want to go back to class and brush up on my martial arts skills.”

A post shared by Milla Jovovich (@millajovovich)

If the actor’s name sounds familiar to you, that’s because he has previously starred in a bunch of popular South Korean dramas such as “My Girl” and Iljimae”.

Previously credited as Lee Jun-ki, the actor-singer rose to fame through his role as Gong-gil in “The King and the Clown”, a 2005 Korean box-office hit that was submitted into the Oscars that year.

Some of his well-known TV series include “Time Between Dog and Wolf”, “Arang and the Magistrate”, “Two Weeks”, and “Scholar Who Walks the Night”. He is a close friend of YG Entertainment‘s hip-hop group Epik High.

Joon-gi’s overseas ventures include the Korea-Japan co-production “Virgin Snow” and the upcoming Chinese production “Begin Again” (aka “Under the Sicily Sun”). However, “Resident Evil: The Final Project” will mark his first Hollywood project.

A PR rep for Namoo Actors said director W.S. Andersen reached out himself to Lee via email. The rep added:

The director said in the email that he was impressed by Lee’s action dramas and influence in Asia.

Sony Pictures’ Screen Gems confirmed that Joon-gi would be playing Umbrella Corporation’s Commander Lee.

Lee isn’t the only Korean actor to have crossed over to Hollywood. South Korean top actor Lee Byung-hun has starred in “Terminator Genisys” as well “RED” and “G.I. Joe” franchises while Choi Min-sik has starred in “Lucy“.

“Resident Evil: The Final Chapter”, which is the 6th and final instalment of the series, will see Jovovich reprising her role as Alice. Ali Larter will also return to star as Claire Redfield. The other cast members include Iain Glen, Shawn Roberts, Ruby Rose, Eoin Macken, William Levy, Fraser James, and Rola.

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#Chatime: Bubble Tea Brand To “Return” To Malaysia With New Partner; Aims To Open 70 Outlets

As promised, Taiwan-based La Kaffa International Co Ltd, the parent company of popular bubble milk tea Chatime, has taken over the development of Chatime stores in Malaysia.

This is in the midst of the legal battle between La Kaffa and former Chatime Malaysia master franchisor Loob Holding Sdn Bhd.

For those of you who are not in the know, back in January 2017, La Kaffa terminated the contract with its sole Malaysian franchisee due to a disagreement on royalty and ingredient sources. Despite the messy divorce and the ongoing legal battle, Loob Holding has since rebranded more than 160 Chatime Malaysia outlets to Tealive.

But La Kaffa isn’t one to just sit back and watch. No, siree. They’ve cooked up a plan of their own.

According to a report by CNA, La Kaffa has bounced back with a new partner, Will Group, and they plan on bringing Chatime back to its “glory days”. Will Group, who runs 2 of the most profitable Chatime outlets in Malaysia (KL Sentral and Genting Highlands) was by La Kaffa to take over as master franchisee from Loob Holding.

CNA quoted Will Group Managing Director Aliza Ali as saying, “Our short term goal is to open 30 stores within the next 6 months … we’re looking at expanding the outlets that are most frequently visited by the customers. The long term goal is by the end of the 12th month, to open 70 outlets. So we’re working really hard on that.”

Will Group, the current master license store for Chatime Malaysia, also promised a return to “quality” La Kaffa-approved ingredients for the brand. Legal process is underway for it to officially take over as master franchisee.

Anyone else incredibly confused by the bubble tea war? We feel ya.

Source: CNA / Featured image: Chatime Boston.


#TMNT2: New Character Posters Featuring Bebop & Rocksteady Revealed

When “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out Of The Shadows” returns to the big screen later this year, the Ninja Turtles aren’t the only mutants running around New York City. It was previously announced that Bebop and Rocksteady will appear in TMNT2.

Just like how the heroes in a half-shell were once normal reptiles, Bebop and Rocksteady were originally humans, and now we might get an idea of how their transformation to freaky humanoids will transpire.

Ever since they made their debut in the 1980s comic books, Bebop and Rocksteady have been among the more popular fan-favourite characters from the TMNT cartoon. Now, these 2 thugs are finally getting their cinematic debut and Paramount has also released a fresh pair of character posters for “Out of the Shadows” featuring the fully-transformed Bebop and Rocksteady.

First up, we have Bebop who is played by Gary Anthony Williams. The humanoid warthog is looking mighty fine with his fur well-groomed, the tusks looking sharp, and he’s more than ready for battle. We also love that he’s still rocking the purple mohawk and sunglasses even in his mutated form.

Next up is Rocksteady who is played by WWE star Stephen “Sheamus” Farrelly. Unlike his buddy Bebop, Rocksteady is no longer sporting his red hair. With a face like that, skin that tough and a horn that big, keeping his hair wouldn’t make a difference for the giant rhino man anyway. If Rocksteady didn’t look badass enough, check out his weapon of choice – a baseball bat covered with sharp nails.

Unfortunately for the duo, while their power did increase, they remained just as dumb as before. They will be recruited by Shredder to do his dirty work. Though they’re not the smartest adversaries for our beloved reptillian martial artists, as pure muscle, these criminals are still going to give the Ninja Turtles a lot of trouble.

In addition to the Bebop and Rocksteady character posters, we also have a limited edition poster by Gallery1988 artist Dave Quiggle showing the Turtles and their newly improved Turtle Van.

“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out Of The Shadows” comes out on 3rd June 2016

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UNIQLO DA Square: 7 Exciting Things About This First Roadside Store

Mark your calendars fashionistas – UNIQLO DA Square is officially opening this week and kicking off with a 3-day special promotion.

Malaysia is currently the 5th country outside Japan and the 3rd in Southeast Asia to debut a roadside type store. The other Asian countries are South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and the Philippines. If you’ve been to a roadside store in Japan, this latest mega outlet at Bandar Sri Damansara is quite similar in terms of look and feel.

Here are 7 exciting things about UNIQLO DA Square:

Yuki Yamada, CEO of UNIQLO Malaysia and Singapore remarked, “The 15,100 square feet DA Square store is carefully designed to ensure enough space and accessibility for all, including families with children, elderly people and people with disability. With its open and roomy interior, the store offers a refreshing shopping experience for customers. Even customers who are familiar with UNIQLO products can quickly locate what they want, with a full-range display of each product category and well-planned, easy-to-cruise sections of the shopping floor”.

AIRism for everybody! The cult beddings used to be available only online. Thankfully, customers can now have access to the full range of colours and sizes at the DA Square store.

Besides UNIQLO Fahrenheit 88, UNIQLO DA Square is the only other outlet in Malaysia to feature a UTme! corner where people can come and customise prints for t-shirts or tote bags. You can either opt for personalised design on-the-spot or for any UNIQLO originals. Psst, the brand new UTme! X Mamee collection is also available from this week onwards.

The fashion company is known for donating clothes and it now has a whole dedicated section to raise awareness about their sustainability efforts through the CSR programmes and green technology. For example, did you know that plastic bottles can be broken down into thread to produce a DRY-EX Polo Shirt?

P/s: Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, clothes recycling have been put on hold.

From 18th to 20th December, the first 500 customers to enter UNIQLO DA Square each day will receive a goodie bag. Those who makes a purchase of RM200 or more in a single transaction will receive a UNIQLO U tote bag.

A post shared by UNIQLO Malaysia (@uniqlomyofficial)

The details to UNIQLO DA Square are as follows:


7 Boys Arrested Over Tragic Tahfiz School Fire; Arson Believed To Be Act Of Revenge

7 boys have been arrested in connection to the Pusat Tahfiz Darul Quran Ittifaqiyah fire that killed 23 people, including 21 students. The boys were rounded up after they were identified in CCTV footage from the Muslim Consumers Association of Malaysia office beside the school

Kuala Lumpur police chief Comm Datuk Amar Singh said that the boys, aged between 11 and 18, were picked up between 6pm on Friday (15th September) and 2:30am on Saturday (16th September). Comm Amar also confirmed that mocking between the students of the tahfiz school and the group of boys was what led to the revenge arson attack.

The Star Online quoted Comm Amar was saying, “Investigations revealed that their motive was to burn the school. Their basic intent was to cause mischief by fire. But maybe because of their age, they didn’t know that their actions would lead to the final result,” adding that there was a possibility that the suspects were “high” during the incident. Comm Amar explained that 2 gas cylinders were brought from the lower floor to the top floor of the building and were used to start the fire, which spread rapidly and took firefighters an hour to extinguish.

6 of the 7 suspects have tested positive for drugs and checked showed that 2 of them had been detained before, on charges of vehicle theft and rioting. The suspects were school dropouts who live nearby the tahfiz school area.

Comm Amar added that the 7 have been remanded for 7 days starting yesterday, and that the case was being investigated for murder, mischief by fire, sudden death and fire report. “With the arrests of the 7 suspects, we consider the case solved, this is a tragedy and I am happy we can solve it and can bring peace to the families,” he said.

Sources: The Star Online, Al Jazeera, China Press.

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Former Air Stewardess Breezes Through Tough Times By Selling “Nasi Kukus Ayam”

The aviation industry’s downfall due to the Covid-19 pandemic has caused retrenched airline workers to resort to other options to make a living.

A former air stewardess that was affected by the situation, had decided to open a food stall, in order to sustain herself and her family during this tough period.

Former air stewardess, Nur Shareen Mohd Zaini, didn’t stop the hustle as she currently sells “Nasi Kukus Ayam” along with her mother and sibling at Taman Lavender Heights, Senawang. Shareen, who is a single mother, decided to look for other alternatives after she was laid off back in March.

According to a local portal, the compensation she received from her retrenchment was not sufficient, causing her to start the business in order to get by. It didn’t take long for her “Nasi Kukus” stall to boom with recognitions from locals in her area, with some referring to it as “Nasi Kukus Pramugari”, which leaves a hint to her previous profession.

It was reported that she started with a capital of only RM200. It was worth the risk as she managed to sell 50 packets on the very first day. Since her story went viral, netizens were quick to react by giving their support to the former stewardess, and also complimenting her food.

Semoga dipermudahkan segala urusan! ✨Will try soon 😍😍 https://t.co/oHYAluTqYT

— 𝒟𝓃𝓁𝓍𝓀𝒶🦋 (@__nenilxka__) November 12, 2020

I just love this kind of spirit 💕 https://t.co/3DVC9qEZgx

— you are my real friend if you call me ema (@razkithh) November 13, 2020

Sedapnya. Terliur aku tgok. Tapi jauh la pulak.

— Unit Anti Dadah Kampung Ketum🚑🚓 (@tecdo3) November 12, 2020

Previously, a retrenched local pilot decided to don his full uniform while operating his food stall in Subang. Read about it here.


#FiftyShadesOfGrey: Sequels To Hit Theatres In 2017 & 2018

Fifty Shades Of Grey fans − it’s time to freak out in excitement.

Source: ewChairman of Universal Pictures Donna Langley took the opportunity at CinemaCon to announce the release date for the anticipated sequel “Fifty Shades Darker” and that’s not all she did. She also shared the news that third movie, “Fifty Shades Freed” will hit theatres the following year which confirms that an adaptation of the third book is definitely in the works.

“Fifty Shades Darker” is slated for a release on 10th February 2017 and “Fifty Shades Freed”, is targeted to be released on 9th February 2018. As of now, it’s been confirmed that screenplay for “Fifty Shades Darker” will be penned by Niall Leonard, author E L James’ husband but there is still no word on who will be directing the film.

SOURCE: Coming SoonUniversal Pictures Home Entertainment also announced that a teaser of “Fifty Shades Darker” will be available exclusively on the forthcoming release of “Fifty Shades of Grey” on Digital HD on 1st May and on Blu-ray on 8th May.

Source : eonline , comingsoon / featured image via marieclaire

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#2NE1: CL To Collaborate With Florence + The Machine For US Solo Album

Is Seoul’s baddest female is going to collaborate with one of the best British indie rock bands? Well, Bobby Brackins, the mastermind behind Tinashe’s hit single “2 On” and Chris Brown’s “Loyal”, said the collaboration might happen soon.

In a recent interview with Vice Magazine, American producer Bobby Brackins accidentally let slip that 2NE1‘s CL will feature a collaboration with Florence + the Machine for her US solo album.

Florence and the Machine is an English indie rock band that made significant inroads in the music scene through the release of the debut album “Lungs”. Best known for their soulful music, the band consists of lead singer Florence Welch, Isabella Summers, and some collaborations with other artistes. The band has been recognised with multiple awards and nominations for their successful debut and their unique yet powerful music.

Thus, CL’s alleged collaboration with Florence and the Machine piqued fans’ interests on her new album.

Brackins told the magazine that CL previously approached him to work on some songs with Florence and the Machine.

I’m friends with this girl CL now, she’s like the biggest artist in Korea. She hit me up to go work on some songs with Florence and the Machine! I couldn’t do it because it was the night before we were flying out to New York but that would have been crazy to work with Florence…”

When asked about whether he will be working with CL, he continued by saying:

I’ve worked with CL before! She’s dope. But I love Florence … we’re so different though, I never thought me and her could be able to merge. Random collaborations are happening.

CL has yet to respond to the report but this further heightened fans’ anticipation for her US solo album.

Set to make a solo debut in US this spring, CL is currently working on her album with a slew of famous producers and musicians including Sean Garrett, Justin Bieber, Psy, and Ariana Grande’s manager Scooter Braun.


#IllRideWithYou: The One Hashtag That Restored Faith In Humanity

Today has been a trying day for the Sydney, what with the ongoing siege in the busiest part of the city and the police lockdown of the centre. It started early this morning, when a gunman (who later claimed political motivation) walked into the Lindt chocolate cafe in the heart of Sydney’s financial district, took hostages, and forced them to display an Islamic flag. The Islamic flag read, “There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is his messenger.”

About 10 employees and 30 customers were thought to be inside at the time.

Following which, Australian police, including paramilitary officers, cordoned off several blocks around the cafe as negotiators tried to defuse one of the biggest security scares in Australia for decades. Snipers and a SWAT team took up positions around the cafe and police helicopters flew overhead.

The hostage drama has ignited fears of a jihadist attack and sparked anti-Muslim sentiment across the city, following reports that the incident may be politically motivated. This is despite clarification that the flag is similar to those used by jihadist groups, but is different from the one used by Islamic State militants in the Middle East.

About 6 hours into the siege, 3 people were seen running from the building housing the cafe. 2 more people followed about an hour later.

It is not clear whether they escaped or were released.

While the Lindt chocolate cafe continues to be surrounded by armed police and officers maintain contact with the gunman to negotiate a safe release of the remaining hostages, Sydney’s and Australia’s social media users have united to pledge their solidarity with those who fear racially motivated and bigoted reprisals on public transport.

This, this is what good people do. #sydneyseige #MartinPlace pic.twitter.com/zxbHLWzxEp

— Michael James (@MichaelJames_TV) December 15, 2014

It started from the above tweet from Michael James. He shared a screenshot of a Facebook status which tells of an incident involving 2 women on Sydney’s public transport network. Soon after, a @sirtessa offered to take a ride with anyone on public transport who was uncomfortable or expecting a bigoted response following today’s siege.

She started the hashtag #IllRideWithYou:

If you reg take the #373 bus b/w Coogee/MartinPl, wear religious attire, & don’t feel safe alone: I’ll ride with you. @ me for schedule. — Sir Tessa (@sirtessa) December 15, 2014

Maybe start a hashtag? What’s in #illridewithyou?

As quickly as other relevant-to-today’s-incident hashtags such as #SydneySiege and #MartinPlace trended worldwide, so did #IllRideWithYou. As at time of writing, the hashtag has garnered about 90,000 mentions on Twitter – and counting. So much so that it has seen participation from not only the people in Sydney, Melbourne, or anywhere in Australia alone. The whole world is in on it.

Needless to say, it has brought much needed comfort to tens of thousands of people who may have been initially frightened to commute to anywhere following news of the siege.

How can we disagree that this is beautiful?

Sources: The Australian, BBC, CBC, Gizmodo AU.

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Contest: Win “Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero” Merchandise & Movie Tickets

Did you hear? “Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero” will be making its way into theatres around the world this month – including Malaysia – following its debut in Japan in June. If you’ve been a longtime fan, then you’ve probably noticed that reviews online about the animated film have been very positive.

Whenever one mentions “Dragon Ball”, the epic battles between the iconic characters come to mind. “Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero” is said to be the biggest event in the series franchise since “Dragon Ball Super: Broly” came out 4 years ago.

“The evil Red Ribbon Army has manufactured new Androids called Gamma 1 and Gamma 2 that believe they are Superheroes. Created by Dr. Hedo for Magenta, the President of Red Pharmaceuticals (a front company for the Red Ribbon Army) for an unknown reason. Gamma 1 and Gamma 2 attack Piccolo and Gohan for unknown reasons.

The film will be directed by Tetsuro Kodama and the Japanese voice actors for the film include Masako Nozawa (Son Goku, Son Gohan, and Son Goten), Toshio Furukawa (Piccolo), Aya Hisakawa (Bulma), Ryō Horikawa (Vegeta), Mayumi Tanaka (Krillin), Takeshi Kusao (Trunks), Yūko Minaguchi (Videl), Yūko Minaguchi (Pan), Miyu Irino (Dr. Hedo), Hiroshi Kamiya (Gamma 1), Mamoru Miyano (Gamma 2), Volcano Ota (Magenta), and Ryota Takeuchi (Carmine).”

Thanks to our friends from Sony Pictures, we’ve got some awesome movie merchandise and 10 pairs of movie tickets to give away. (*Do note that the merchandise will be given out randomly and are subject to availability.)


F&N Gempakz: The World Is Your Audience

Malaysia’s much-loved F&N Fun Flavours soft drinks range is once again elevating the level of cheer amongst Malaysians with the launch of its all-new super-exciting Gempakz Campaign.

This campaign makes sharing special messages to special people and loved ones so much bigger by publishing messages and shoutouts on a giant LED screen located in front of the fountain at eCurve in Mutiara Damansara. This is the first giant LED screen in Malaysia that has been set up for such interaction among Malaysians.

All they need is a can or bottle of any of the six (out of nine) favourite F&N Fun Flavours available. Just use the app specially designed for the Gempakz campaign, capture the code on the can with your computer or smartphone camera, and thanks to F&N’s use of Augmented Reality, you’ll be able to add virtual gifts into any photograph on your device!

To start submitting shoutouts with your edited photographs, just enter the FnNFunMalaysia Facebook page, complete a simple registration form using the code on the can or bottle and follow the instructions. It’s that simple and awesome.

On top of that, they’re also giving away a total of RM40,000 in prizes for the highest number of shoutouts submitted, just to pump up the excitement! We’re talking, some of today’s most exciting tech must-haves including weekly prizes of 2 Samsung Galaxy S3 smartphones each week and a highly desirable Grand Prize of a tech-savvy goodie pack comprising items such as an iPad, laptop, and DSLR camera.

The more messages you send, the higher your chances of winning – so start right away!

The giant LED screen will be flashing these shoutouts from 1st until 30th November 2012 from its location in front of the fountain at eCurve in Mutiara Damansara. F&N fans located outside the Klang Valley, fret not! The mobile Gempakz truck will be travelling nationwide till 18th November 2012.

For more information, hit up the F&N Malaysia Facebook page.


#IMSAsiaPacific: Meet Paul Oakenfold, One Of The Founding Fathers Of Trance

We’re now only about 2 weeks away from the inaugural International Music Summit (IMS) Asia-Pacific and the excitement is building! In case you haven’t heard, the IMS is a 3-day electronic dance music (EDM) conference that takes place in Ibiza. It became such a booming success that IMS Ibiza has since become an annual fixture (the 2012 summit was held in May).

Interestingly, the first IMS in 2008 and was open to only 300 delegates. But in 2009, the number of delegate badges available was increased to 400, and saw the addition exhibition space for 30 companies. The summit would later go on to spawn IMS Engage in 2012, a one-day summit hosted mid-April in Los Angeles which brings together key industry figures and professionals who descend on the region at that time.

IMS Engage has a unique format – 6 un-moderated conversations pairing artists and players from electronic music with the world of film, technology, media and the wider music world in a one-on-one conversation. The event is designed to show how far electronic music can reach, how deep it penetrates, and how it innovates at every step.

Fast forward to 2014, IMS continues to pave the way in the electronic music industry. Described by many as “the TED of music conferences”, 3 IMS panels in 2013 were voted in the top 10 electronic music debates of all-time by Beatport. This year, for the first time ever, the world’s most influential electronic music summit will make its way to Asia in Singapore on 11th Dec.

We spoke to one of the founding fathers of the trance genre, who’s not only a partner for both IMS Asia-Pacific and IMS Engages, but also an electronic dance music idol to many DJs/producers of the recent years.

When it comes to a career the magnitude of Paul Oakenfold, it’s hard to encompass one of the true legends of electronic music into just words. For over 3 decades he has elevated and shaped an entire genre and remains one of the leading forces in the global music scene today. His most recent works have taken him from the DJ booth of the worlds hottest nightspots and festivals to the studio producing soundtracks for Hollywood blockbuster movies. His diversity in artistry and ability has earned him accolades from critics and fans alike. Garnering him not 1 but 2 Grammy Nominations for his works.

Believe us when we say that we’re just as excited as he is about his panel at IMS Asia-Pacific this coming December. In fact, he told us exclusively about what we can expect from the summit:

Hi Paul, so good to speak to you! Having spoken at IMS Ibiza previously, you’re no stranger to the summit. Tell us, how will you be contributing to discussions at IMS Asia-Pacific?

Very proud to be a partner in IMS. This is our first venture in to Asia and I’m really looking forward to it. I’ll be talking to Lincoln Cheng (founder of Zouk Singapore) who is one of the most well respected club owners in the industry.

What are you personally looking forward to most about IMS Asia-Pacific?

I am really looking forward to embracing the audience at IMS and hanging out and meeting everyone. I will be doing a party at Attica on Thursday night (11th December) which I very much look forward to.

In brief, what is your experience with the scene in Asia? How do you expect it to grow?

I’ve been going to Asia for many years and have played some amazing gigs from the handover in ’99 to playing the Great Wall of China. This is very special to me and I’m looking forward to it immensely.

As the official Malaysian ambassador for IMS Asia-Pacific, we too are immensely looking forward to seeing Paul again!

Watch the highlights from IMS Ibiza 2014 here:

* Ticket price includes entry to IMS; buffet lunch; and drinks at cocktail party.

* 50% discount for students in music schools at SAE Institute and Republic Polytechnic.

* IMS delegates enjoy W Singapore – Sentosa Cove special room rate at S$360 per night (9th – 12th December).

Buy tickets and book rooms at W Singapore – Sentosa Cove here.

For more information, visit their official website.

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#TheColorRun: Organiser Vows “Safe Fun Run” In Wake Of Taiwan Water Park Blast

On Saturday (27th June) night, one person was killed and more than 500 people were injured after a fire stemmed from an explosion ripped through the crowd at Taiwan’s Formosa Fun Coast water park. The freak incident has, inevitably, affected many other events, especially the infamous 5km fun run in Malaysia, The Color Run.

Billed as the “Happiest 5K on the planet”, The Color Run promotes healthiness, happiness, and individuality by bringing the community together in the one day event. But in the wake of the blast at the Taiwanese water park involving coloured powder, many runners and interested participants have raised concerns about the fun run.

In response to their concerns and media queries, The Color Run’s organiser IMG Worldwide clarified that “the powder used in its events have been tested for flammability and successfully passed the required EU standards”. The organiser also said that it has “no association with the venue, organisers, or equipment used at the Taiwan incident”.

The full statement, which was posted on their official Facebook page, is as follows:

The Color Run™ can confirm that the powder used in its events has been tested for flammability and successfully passed the required EU standards. The powder used in the tragic incident in Taipei was different from that used in Color Run™ events and was not provided by the Color Run™ supplier.

As previously stated, The Color Run™ has no association with the venue, organizers, or equipment used at the Taiwan incident. However, we take the events that occurred in Taipei very seriously as the health and safety of our participants and our employees has always been at the forefront of our minds and actions.

We have had zero fire-related incidents in 500 global events with more than 4 million participants. We are committed to staging safe and secure events.

Following the unfortunate incident in Taiwan, IMG told Channel NewsAsia on Monday (29th June) that “over a dozen enquiries” were sent to them, and that “the number of people asking for a refund is in single figures”.

Though they reassured participants by stating that the safety of their runners and clients “is of paramount importance” to them, they would still comply requests for a refund.

Meanwhile, the annual Rang de Holi in Singapore is promised to be a safe event as well, as the organisers also told Channel News Asia that they’ve emphasised their focus on safety.

Mr Rajesh Misir, the chairman of the Rang de Holi 2015 organising committee, stated that a private company has been hired to handle security and ensure the public safety. He said, “I have got 17 to 18 officers around. Fire exit points are handled by my security – they plan the entire layout”.

I don’t think there’s going to be much of a backlash because I think people in Singapore know the Government does quite a good job in terms of scanning what’s actually coming in. Given the current events, I’m sure there’ll be greater measures in place for us to bring in these powders, so I think it’s quite safe to attend the events around.

The annual event, which was held on 7th March this year at Kembangan, is a celebration of festival of colours. It involves people throwing organic and plant-based holi powder at each other to celebrate the coming of spring in India. It was revealed that the powder that they use is flown in from India.


#EastAsiaTribune: Chu Jingyi Assassinated By North Korean Agents In Kuala Lumpur? Here’s The Truth

You’ve either seen the articles being shared on Facebook or have read them in passing or, heck, you could’ve even been one of those who followed East Asia Tribune’s (EAT) 3-part “Five Nights in Pyongyang” or “Five Miles from the DPRK Border” series.

So your heart broke with the rest of the world’s when award-winning journalist Chu Jingyi and Sun-Young’s escape from North Korea was foiled in the final instalment of “Five Miles from the DPRK Border”, bringing the trilogy to an abrupt halt. Your frustrations with the entire North Korean fiasco escalated when Chu was unable to produce the latest piece of the “Five Miles from the DPRK Border” series because he had to go into hiding.

We know that feel, bro. We were waiting for the final instalment of “Five Miles from the DPRK Border” series too.

Perhaps today, you mourned for real (tears and all) when EAT reported that Chu Jingyi was assassinated in an attack by North Korean agents in Kuala Lumpur.

An excerpt from the said report reads, “Award-winning EAT journalist Chu Jingyi, author of the Five Nights in Pyongyang series, has been killed in an apparent attack by North Korean agents in Kuala Lumpur. Chu had been based at a safe house in the Malaysian capital while he finished writing the final instalment of his Five Miles From The DPRK Border report. According to witness testimony, Chu had been dining at a restaurant with several associates on the busy Jalan Ampang when a white van pulled up outside and a group of armed men stormed out.”

The report went as far as quoting a witness to the killing, who apparently spoke to the media and said that “Chu’s female companion appeared to be pregnant”, leading readers to think that the female companion is none other than Sun-Young, tugging even more at people’s heartstrings.

Now, if you read the “Five Nights in Pyongyang” or “Five Miles from the DPRK Border” series, particularly the “Five Miles from the DPRK Border” series, your heart will go out to Sun-Young. So young, much drama, how tragic!

The article was shared on EAT’s Facebook page, garnering just over a hundred shares (at time of writing) in about 6 hours – and counting.

And you believed it, just like you believed the “Five Nights in Pyongyang” or “Five Miles from the DPRK Border” series because apparently, EAT, Asia’s largest and most trusted media organisation with offices in 23 countries throughout the region, can tell no lies.

This is despite the fact that no other news outlets in Malaysia have picked up on the news or verified it, and despite the fact that the murder happened right under our noses “at a restaurant on the busy Jalan Ampang” and yet nothing has turned up on social media.

One Facebook user commented on EAT’s Facebook post, perhaps in an effort to verify the news:

This was supported by a comment from another Facebook user, one named Tammy Ling, who quickly swooped in to help verify the news:

Both Jason and Tammy were urged by other commenters for a link or a source to the reports. Alas, to no avail.

Tammy simply replied one of the commenters, “It just came up on the TV” so perhaps non-BBC-watchers just missed the golden window of opportunity to watch it unfold? While Jason claimed that he saw in on “local news report” in Klang. We’re not sure if that means that the news was only reported via some elusive news report channel in Klang or that 30 million Malaysians (save for Jason Ong in Klang) conveniently missed that window too because we scoured the comments for more claims of “seen on television” but nothing else turned up.

Fun fact: Both Jason and Tammy‘s Facebook profiles are spotless. By that, we mean that they’re either extremely private people because of the lack of public activities (shared posts, status updates, photos, etc.) or the accounts are new/fake. Jason recently updated his profile picture on 22nd May 2016 while Tammy updated hers on 21st May 2016. Both their cover photos were changed on the same day, 17th May 2016, within minutes of each other.

But wait, there was this one comment by a fellow Malaysian that casted doubt over EAT’s content which raised suspicions. In Kian Tong Lim’s now-deleted comment (as seen in screenshot), presumably by EAT’s Facebook page admin, he asked what was Chu Jingyi doing in “the busy Jalan Ampang” in the first place if he was supposed to be in a safe house:

EAT claims that it has a history stretching back to 1972 and has since grown into Asia’s largest and most trusted media organisation with offices in 23 countries across the region and around the world. So we can’t even begin to understand how their Twitter has less than 100 followers and their Facebook, just slightly over 4,000 fans. Not a tad too below average for such an esteemed news publication?

Also, note how we didn’t source the “original source” of the Potonggang hotel exterior shot above (first picture in this post) and instead gave credit to the real source? Same goes for this next one (of the waitresses, below), which is originally copyrighted to Brian J. McMorrow but was used in this EAT article.

Did the great Chu Jingyi really need to lift images off other random people to complement his groundbreaking investigative pieces?

When EAT supposedly held a press conference to “share the latest developments regarding missing EAT journalist, Chu Jingyi”, it was attended by some press representatives. In fact, EAT editor Alec Ustinov even opened the floor for questions from journalists attending the press conference. Unfortunately, there were no non-EAT articles of the sensational press conference ever taking place. If you entered “Chu Jingyi” in a Google search and hit the “News” tab, nothing turns up. At all.

By the way, it wasn’t hard to go through all the search results because it only spans 3 pages.

If you’d like to dig even deeper, allow us.

EAT’s address, as listed on their website, is fake. East Asia Tribune Tower 444 Century Ave, Pudong 200135, Shanghai, China? We’re no pros when it comes to navigating Shanghai despite have been there just last year, but according to Google Maps, there’s no such tower, and no such number (444).

And if you ran a WHOIS check on eastasiatribune.com, you’d realise that the domain was purchased in March 2016. To be more specific, on 23rd March 2016. EAT’s first Facebook post is dated 24th March 2016.

Really now? Asia’s largest and most trusted media organisation with offices in 23 countries across the region and around the world, with history dating back to 1972, only decided to keep up with the extremely fast-paced digital world this year?

Do you see where it says “WHOIS PRIVACY PROTECTION SERVICE, INC.”? Why would a legit news organisation use a privacy protection service based in Washington to register a domain name? Compare this with The New York Times.

Currently, there are ongoing Quorra and reddit discussions about EAT and its articles. An Associated Press Asia correspondent has also questioned the authenticity of EAT’s article. Furthermore, someone else called out one of EAT’s other articles (“Singapore Family Insist On Observing Son Make Love For The First Time“) to be a hoax.

Which is fair because how did anyone miss that clearly photoshopped dummy on the left side of the featured image?

On a funnier note, at the bottom of the EAT website, it states, “Headquartered in Shanghai, the EAT Group has media investments throughout Greater China and East Asia, and is a founding member of the Asia News Union Service”. Just so you know, the acronym for “Asia News Union Service” is ANUS.

To add on, Chu Jingyi, when written in Chinese, is “吃精液”, which can be translated to:

Don’t mind us. For what it’s worth, the “Five Nights in Pyongyang” or “Five Miles from the DPRK Border” series are really interesting reads, thanks to the good writing. But whether the stories, the now-Pulitzer-Prize-nominated Chu Jingyi’s murder, and EAT as a whole are legit, remains to be seen.

Meanwhile, we’ve reached out to Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar for comment on the news of Chu Jingyi’s “assassination” in Kuala Lumpur. We’ll update this post if/when we get a response.

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook or Telegram for more updates and breaking news.


Covid-19: Could Puchong Be The Next Red Zone? Selangor Exco Clarifies

Kinrara assemblyman Ng Sze Han has cleared things up regarding the “Bah Puchong” cluster to dismiss Covid-19 fears in the township.

He assured everyone in his Facebook post that the cluster doesn’t mean that Puchong is at risk of entering the red zone.

The Selangor rep explained that the “Bah Puchong” cluster involved an individual residing in Puchong who had recently returned from Sabah, hence the name. Not soon after, relatives of the individual contracted the virus while visiting him all the way from Perak.

“He was on home quarantine, but his relatives in Perak visited him and stayed with him and they too became positive. All positives are now hospitalised and all his contacts have been screened,” the Selangor exco stated in the Facebook post.

As per FMT, Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah confirmed that the cluster traced back to individuals from Petaling in Selangor and two districts in Perak (Kinta & Larut-Matang-Selama). The first three identified cases were from individuals returning from Sabah, with the trio admitted to Sungai Buloh Hospital.

Close contact screenings from the cluster have detected two more individuals in the Perak districts to be tested positive for the virus. Both of them have been admitted to Hospital Raja Permaisuri Bainun in Ipoh.

For the time being, 39 individuals in the “Bah Puchong” cluster have been screened, with 34 of them awaiting their test results. In other news, Klang & 3 other districts will be under CMCO starting today (9th October 2020).


Stage Dive Fail: Geez, Steve!

Oh, you know, Steve Aoki, well known for his stage dives and crowd surfs. In fact, he does it so much that we kinda knew that one day, sh*t would definitely go down – and go down bad. As in, end in tears.

During his show in Puerto Rico, the Dim Mak label head attempted his stunt but it went awry. Steve had attempted to jump off the DJ console and onto a trampoline, and eventually (we think) he was hoping to land into the crowd for a bit of his crowd-surfing routine. Sure, on paper it all sounds awesome.

[youtube id=”iqCENDTrbkg” width=”600″ height=”350″]

Yup. Steve was catapulted into the back of the stage, and was quickly rushed to the hospital. He later tweeted, “I wanna let everyone know that I’m A-OK! Went to hospital got CT Scans and no spinal injuries from my stagedive trampoline fail!”

Geez, Steve. We’re just glad that you’re alive.


Fun Facts: 7 Things You Almost Didn’t Know About Russell Peters – Until Now

As we speak, Russell Peters is gearing up to rock Stadium Malawati in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia once again and leave Malaysians bursting at seams with roars of laugher. Funny down to the core, Russell is one comedian whose jokes and pokes never run out or run dry. There’s no question how he previously set records for sales and attendance at a comedian’s performance, which set a benchmark his peers as well as other aspiring comics.

But how much do you really know about the guy?

For example, did you know that he was the first comedian to sell out Toronto’s Air Canada Centre in 2007? And that in 2010, he performed for the largest audience in Australia for a standup comedy show? And to take this even further back, were you aware that Russell Peters was the target of bullies when he was younger?

Here are some other little known facts about him:

Russell Peters is Catholic and of Anglo-Indian descent. Strangely, despite being Catholic, he’s against organised religions like Catholicism. His late father was born in Bombay (now Mumbai), India and worked as a federal meat inspector. Russell regularly features stories about him in his comedy work. His older brother, Clayton, is his manager.

Clayton is also the co-author of Russell’s memoir, “Call Me Russell”.

He attended Chinguacousy Secondary School for grades 9 – 10, and North Peel Secondary School in Bramalea for grades 11 – 12. In school, he was regularly bullied because of his ethnicity. In “Call Me Russell”, he wrote that he was often called a “Paki”, which he refers to as his “N” word, by the bullies. Adding insult to injury was his undiagnosed ADD/ADHD, for which he was sent to “retard school”.

Thankfully, the young Russell Peters eventually learned boxing, which helped him resist the bullying.

Before he became a comedian, he used to be a hip hop junkie and a famous DJ in Toronto in his youth. By the 1990s, he was a well-connected DJ in the Toronto scene. What? Yes. Russell Peters was a DJ.

We can’t imagine him playing at any major music festivals though.

Ironically, Russell Peters hates Bollywood movies and its music. The only thing he probably didn’t hate about Bollywood was one woman named Sunny Leone. Sunny Leone, real name Karenjit Kaur Vohra, is a porn star-turned-Bollywood actress whom Russell used to date. She was named by Maxim as one of the 12 top porn stars in 2010 and she has also played roles in independent mainstream films as well as TV shows.

Oh, also, Sunny Leone is bisexual but she has said that she prefers men.

Russell Peters’ big breakthrough came after clips from “Comedy Now!”, a TV series he had taped in Canada, began finding their way onto YouTube and went viral. While the initial video upload featured his entire 45-minute performance, YouTube users subsequently uploaded segments of the performance where Peters focused on individual cultural groups.

No, he didn’t kill anyone, but he did reveal the shocking number of people close to him who have murdered, attempted murder or been murdered. Of his friends from high school alone, one stabbed an ex-girlfriend; another kidnapped his ex-girlfriend and stabbed her father to death; another murdered a man he was trying to rob; another beat his own father to death for no apparent reason. His own grandfather was beaten to death in India, and his favourite cousin was murdered in the Dominican Republic.

Just when he thought the curse might be over, his close friend, US boxing champion Vernon Forrest, was murdered during a robbery in 2009.

Of course, any Russell Peters fan would already know this by now – he’s considered one of the most successful and highest-paid comedians in the business. According to Forbes, he earned an estimated $15 million between June 2009 and June 2010, continuing his run as one of the highest-paid comedians, after earning an estimated $5 million the prior year.

In 2013, Forbes ranked him as the third-highest-paid comedian.

Maybe it’s high time you made the call to get those tickets to see his “The Almost Famous World Tour” live in Malaysia, huh? ;)

The 10th April show’s tickets have already sold out. In fact, it was sold out in less than a week, with 90% of tickets purchased in 24 hours! But that’s okay, because Russell Peters’ “Almost Famous World Tour” is extended to a second night! The second show will be on Saturday, 11th April 2015 at Stadium Malawati, Shah Alam, Malaysia, one day after the first show.

Also, in collaboration with LOL Events, Tourland Travel Malaysia is offering comedy fans a tour package promo which includes Platinum tickets to the “Almost Famous World Tour” in Malaysia. The packages ranging from RM928 to RM837 will include accommodations, a city tour as well as transfers from the hotel to the airport and show venue.

Interested individuals can contact Tourland by email at outbound@tourlandmy.com ;)

For more information, visit LOL Events’ Facebook page.

Sources: Russell Peters Wikipedia, Sunny Leone Wikipedia, The Globe And Mail.

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#NightcrawlerMovie: Jake Gyllenhaal Steps Into Darkness This Halloween

We hear you, Jake Gyllenhaal. You have to make the money to buy a ticket!

Best known for his role as the troubled teenager Donnie in the mind-bending film “Donnie Darko”, Gyllenhaal is once again playing a darker role in this upcoming American crime-thriller film “Nightcrawler”.

Sorry, Marvel fans. Don’t expect this film to be an “X-Men” spin-off film because it is not related to the Marvel Universe at all. In fact, this film is more about Jake Gyllenhaal being a freelance crime reporter who became little too desperate to report Los Angeles crimes at night, so much so that Gyllenhaal had to lose 20 pounds to portray his psychotic role.

The film will be screened during the Special Presentations section of the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) and the release date has been pushed back to 31st October, just in time for Halloween. The film will go up against another horror animated film, “Book of Life” in October as well.

Dan Gilroy will make his directorial debut with this film, which is produced by Jennifer Fox, Tony Gilroy, Michel Litvak, Gyllenhaal, and David Lancaste. Gary Michael Walters and Betsy Danbury are executive producing the film while Bill Paxton, Rene Russo, and Riz Ahmed are some of the confirmed cast members.

So, why do you think Jake Gyllenhaal needs to make the money to buy a ticket? Just watch the trailer below:


Win Passes To H-Artistry, 2013!

The highly anticipated epic finale of this year’s H-Artistry — The Global Art of Mixing is finally here! Featuring an amazing lineup of artists from around the world and a signature mix of sights, sounds and taste, Malaysia’s most anticipated clubbing event is set to happen at the Malaysia International Exhibition and Convention Centre (MIECC) in Mines Resort City on November 2nd, 2013 (Saturday) from 7.00pm to 1.00am.

The Hennessy Art of Mixing Zone makes a comeback this year as the event features the My Hennessy Moment Photo Booth and the classics of H-Artistry’s parties – the Hennessy V.S.O.P signature long drinks: Hennessy Apple, Hennessy Berry, Hennessy Ginger and Hennessy Soda. The main area from the Hennessy Art of Mixing Zone will see a combination of Western and Eastern musical genres, styles and cultures. This year’s H-Artistry finale lineup includes Neon Hitch, NS Yoon-G, Dmitry KO and Lapsap.

Hype Malaysia will be giving away five (5) pairs of passes for H-Artistry 2013. Here’s how you can win some!

1. Snap an image of yourself and hashtag #HypeMY #HARTISTRYKL  and submit your entries via Instagram and Twitter by tagging us at @HypeMy. Each photo entry will require a description in no more than 150 characters as to why you deserve to go for the Hennessy Artistry 2013 Party.

2. Tell us what you enjoy most about Hennessy.

3. Name two (2) of the artists that is part of this year’s lineup.

4. Where will H-Artistry 2013 take place?

Contest runs from October 22nd, 2013 (Tuesday) to October 28th, 2013 (Monday). Send in the answers together with your full Name, NRIC Number, full address and contact number to bryna@hype.my latest by 3.00pm on October 28th, 2013 (Monday).

Remember! Judges decision is final and don’t forget to provide your full details! All Winners will be notified via email and all social media platforms.

Note: H-Artistry is open to non-Muslims age 18 and above only.

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Our Picks: Top 5 Viral Videos of 2012

Over the past 12 months, some YouTube videos have become to popular that they’ve either become really hard to ignore or have left a lasting impression. We thought it’d be fun to share our personal top FIVE viral videos of 2012 – or at least the top five that we remember like it was just yesterday.

The story: Kristen Bell guest starred on Ellen DeGeneres’ “The Ellen Show” one day and launched into talking about her 31st birthday celebration. See, the thing is, Kristen has always been obsessed with sloths her whole life. So imagine how she felt with her fiancé, Dax Shepard, decided to surprise her with a visit from her favorite animal, the sloth. Yup. Cue emotional breakdown – over a sloth.

[youtube id=”t5jw3T3Jy70″ width=”600″ height=”350″]

“Facebook Parenting: For the troubled teen”

The story: A disgruntled teenage daughter apparently wrote a Facebook post complaining about the chores that she has to do at home (among other things). Her tech-savvy, gun-toting father took (a very public) revenge by nine rounds into the laptop. After enough damage was done to the laptop, he dedicated the recording to his daughter and “more importantly for all her friends on Facebook who thought that her little rebellious post was cute, and for all you parents out there who think your, you know, kids don’t post bad things on Facebook.”

[youtube id=”kl1ujzRidmU” width=”600″ height=”350″]

The story: Produced by “Invisible Children”, a nonprofit activist group founded by three filmmakers, KONY 2012 a half-hour video campaign about Ugandan warlord Joseph Kony. Joseph Kony is theleader of the rebel Lord’s Resistance Army. He and his army have committed atrocities since 1980s, including the killing and disfiguring of villagers, forcing children to become soldiers, and forcing girls into sexual slavery. Although, after the video went viral, “Invisible Children” has been criticized for everything from how the group made “KONY 2012” to how it spends its money.

[youtube id=”Y4MnpzG5Sqc” width=”600″ height=”350″]

Cookie Monster’s Call Me Maybe (Carly Rae Jepsen cover)

The story: We know, we know – after so many covers and spoof attempts, Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe” is probably one of the last things you’d want to watch this year. To be fair, this one was totally worth it. A few times over, if we dare say! We can’t say that we weren’t pleased when “Call Me Maybe” got “Sesame Street”-fied. And just how cute is Cookie Monster? Right?

[youtube id=”-qTIGg3I5y8″ width=”600″ height=”350″]

The story: This man, this song, and this music video needs no introduction. And judging by its 988,098,600 views, it needs no explanation either. Except maybe to say that South Korean artiste, Psy, easily made “Gangnam Style” the “Macarena” of the decade. With ample help from social media platforms, of course.

[youtube id=”9bZkp7q19f0″ width=”600″ height=”350″]

And there you have it, our top five viral videos of the year. Which one was your favourite?


(UPDATE) Hype’s Must Watch: #StarWars The Force Awakens

There has been an awakening…and we have felt it via the official full trailer for “Star Wars: The Force Awakens“, the highly anticipated 7th instalment of the “Star Wars” franchise.

Directed by J.J. Abrams, the film is written by Abrams and Lawrence Kasdan. The previous film in what was a 6-movie series, “Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith”, was released in 2005.

The story is set around 30 years after the events of 1983’s “Return of the Jedi”. Newcomer Daisy Ridley is starring in it as a character named Rey while John Boyega will play Finn. Adam Driver is portraying Kylo Ren, a new villain who wields the much-discussed “tri-saber”. However, no details regarding his role were revealed.

“Game of Thrones“ star Gwendoline Christie will portray Captain Phasma aka the chrome Stormtrooper while Oscar Isaac, who will be seen next as Apoalypse in “X-Men: Apocalypse“, is portraying Poe Dameron, an elite pilot who has been sent on a mission.

“12 Years a Slave” star Lupita Nyong’o will play a character named Maz Katana, which will be brought to life using CGI based on her performance capture work. Her character is a pirate with no allegiances to either the Resistance (aka the Rebel Alliance) or the First Order (the new Empire). It was rumoured that she was in possession of Luke Skywalker’s lightsaber.

Harrison Ford and Peter Mayhew are returning to reprise their respective roles as Han Solo and his old friend Chewbacca. Despite his absence in the offical theatrical poster, Mark Hamill‘s Luke Skywalker is set to appear in the film.

Check out the trailer for the epic space opera below:

Just when we thought Disney has teased all of “Star Wars: The Fore Awakens”, an international trailer has just been released.

Some of the scenes can be found in the original trailer, but tonnes of new footage are featured in the new international trailer as well. Not only did we get to hear BB-8 “talk” a bit for the first time, we also get a brief glimpse at Princess Leia and C-3PO.

“Star Wars: The Force Awakens” is set to be released on 17th Dec 2015.

For more information, visit the movie’s official website and Facebook page.

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook or Telegram for more updates and breaking news.


#YouTube: Video-Sharing Site Officially Introduces New Interface Featuring Dark Mode

The video-sharing site has officially pushed out their Material Design interface on desktop to users around the world.

The Material Design was initially discovered around a year ago, but according to Lowyat.NET, those who wanted to try it out had to “go to a special URL and tweak some codes under developer tools”.

YouTube describes the 3 integral principles of this design as “simplicity”, “consistency”, and “beauty”. Aside from beautifying their interface, the video sharing site wants you to be able to navigate around content you love easily across all Google platforms.

However, there’s a catch. If you want to opt for the new interface, you’ll have to do it manually from YouTube.com/new. Once you switch, it’ll unlock the Dark Theme, which will turn your background black and is designed to cut down on glare.

Not sure whether to switch to the new interface or not? Fret not, if you don’t like it, you can return to the current design by selecting “Restore classic YouTube” from the drop-down menu. You can also send feedback to Google via the “Send feedback” button.


Hype’s Now Playing: Hardwell Ft. Harrison – Sally

“No one can find out that I’ve been f*cking Sally.”

Given all the hype that’s been surrounding Hardwell‘s upcoming album “United We Are,” the world’s No. 1 DJ, recently released his new single “Sally” featuring the vocals of Harrison. Unlike anything Hardwell has ever released before, “Sally” strays away from Hardwell’s big room expectations at times but also strikes with familiarity.

A scintillating rock-tinged original production, the track is a melting pot of guitar plucks, provocative and crude vocals as well danceable grooves. Reminding everyone why he is worthy of his World No. 1 title, Hardwell proves that he is determined to maintain his #1 DJ ranking with this single.

Harrison, the talented British singer and songwriter, delivers the lyrics with a distinctive grunge sound that works brilliantly with Hardwell’s sound. Personally, we’re kinda hooked on this track. Yes, it’s lyrics are crude, real crude but hey, it works with the whole electronic-rock fusion track.

“Sally” will be featured on Hardwell’s full length project, “United We Are” which will be released on January 23rd. Whilst we wait for the album to arrive, check out “Sally” below:


Contest: Win Tickets To Dream Theater Live In Kuala Lumpur 2017 “Images, Words & Beyond” 25th Anniversary Tour

In case you haven’t heard, Dream Theater is coming to Kuala Lumpur on 2nd October 2017 (Monday) as part of their “Images, Words & Beyond” 25th Anniversary Tour. And we’re giving away tickets!

3 pairs of tickets worth RM238, to be exact :)

Organised by IME Malaysia, the spectacle will contain an unparalleled live set of “Images & Words” in its entirety, taking fans back in time with time less numbers like “Pull Me Under”, “Another Day”, “Metropolis Part 1” and “Under A Glass”, along with fan favourites from their deep, widely-acclaimed catalogue. Dream Theater comprises of members: John Petrucci (guitar), John Myung (bass), Mike Mangini (drums), James La Brie (vocals) and Jordan Rudess (keyboards and continuum).

Dream Theater has sold over 10 million records worldwide, in addition to earning an outstanding five RIAA gold and platinum certifications, as well as multiple awards and nominations. On 9th April 2013, Images and Words won the award for Metal Madness 2013, defeating ever a lot of the well-known artists such as Ronnie James Dio, Megadeth, AC/DC, and many more.

Wanna go? Here’s how you can stand a chance at getting your hands on ’em tickets:


#BatmanvSuperman: First Look At Jesse Eisenberg As Lex Luthor

After getting our first look at “Game of Thrones” star Jason Momoa as Aquaman, Entertainment Weekly also gave us a first glimpse of Jesse Eisenberg as Superman’s archenemy, Lex Luthor.

We can’t say for sure, but Luthor may have already been thrown into the jail in the upcoming DC Comic superhero film, “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice“. I mean, don’t you think this looks like a mugshot?

You see, Luthor is a wealthy and power-hungry business magnate with incredible technological prowess in the DC Universe. Though his goals typically centre on killing Superman, he carefully crafted his public persona in order to avoid suspicion and arrest. He is also well known for his philanthropy, donating millions of dollars to Metropolis over the years, funding parks, foundations, and charities. Given his high status and power as a supervillain, he is always seen wearing suits in the comic books.

However, our first look at Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor showed us something else. He’s still got the menacing look, but it seems like he’s wearing prison clothes.

Director Zack Snyder is known for muting every colour of his films with just the right amount of tease. He may have muted the colour of the picture, but the shirt Eisenberg’s wearing bears a striking resemblance to the bright orange jumpsuit.

— Zack Snyder (@ZackSnyder) March 25, 2015

Regarding Eisenberg’s role, Snyder told EW that “he’s not any of the Lexes that you’ve seen”.

Other than him being a captain of industry and one person to the world and another person to himself. And bald, of course.

There’s no official plot for the film yet, which is why we can’t be sure if there’s a much bigger threat than Luthor. Snyder did not share much details about Luthor, but he did mention that Luthor is an intelligent being who may have been given way too much of his plan.

Our Lex is disarming and he’s not fake. He says what he believes and he says what’s on his mind. If you can unravel the string and decipher what he means, it’s all there.

This should be easy for Eisenberg, who previously portrayed an equally intelligent millionaire in “The Social Network”.

“Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” is slated for release on 25th March 2016.

The Zack Snyder-directed action adventure stars Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot, Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Laurence Fishburne, Diane Lane, Jesse Eisenberg, Jeremy Irons, Holly Hunter, and Scoot McNairy.

This film marks the beginning of the DC Cinematic Universe after Warner Bros revealed that there are 10 DC films currently in development.

What do you think of Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor? Are you excited or what? Feel free to discuss that in the comments box below.

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You Can Now Purchase AirAsia’s All-In One Way Fixed Fare For RM88

Making plans to Cuti-cuti Malaysia? AirAsia has just announced its fixed fares promo earlier today (Monday, 24th August).

Available from now till Wednesday (26th August), the 3-day offer allows you to fly anytime and anywhere, for all seats and all flights. That’s not all, travellers can also enjoy more savings with the “flight + hotel” combos.

“The ability to travel domestically is crucial to facilitate the revival of our Malaysian economy as we gradually recover from post-lockdown restrictions. AirAsia wants to play our part in enabling everyone to connect to their destinations again conveniently and affordably,” said AirAsia Head of Commercial, Amanda Woo.

She addd, “The fixed fares on sale are available for all seats and all flights including weekend flights. Those who need to fly home to Sabah for the upcoming snap polls taking place at the end of September can also take advantage of this fixed fare campaign. Furthermore, our updated flexibility options also allow guests to change their flight date at any time with no flight-change fee.”


Hype’s Now Playing: Jack Ü’s UMF Closing Set Ft. Surprise Guest Appearances

In case you missed it, Skrillex joined forces with Jack Ü teammate Diplo and stars from their debut LP for their closing set yesterday.

After a weekend of surprise guests that included Usher (Martin Garrix’s set) and Ariana Grande (Cashmere Cat’s set), Skrillex topped off his headlining set at this year’s Ultra Music Festival (UMF) Miami with Justin Bieber, Diplo, Kiesza, and Diddy.

2NE1 leader CL also made a cameo during their set to perform “Dirty Vibe”, a single from Skrillex’s 2014 album, “Recess”. In case you didn’t know, CL is managed by Scooter Braun (who also handles Justin Bieber and Martin Garrix), and is currently working on her US solo debut. So a “CL appearance” before a crowd of 100,000 only seems apt!

UMF has a history of surprise appearances, most notably Madonna, who joined Avicii on stage in 2012. Who wouldn’t remember the “How many people in the crowd has seen Molly?” controversy anyway?

This year’s crashers were teased throughout the weekend by UMF’s main stage MC, who also announced that the fest would be expanding to Singapore, adding to its roster of events in Croatia, South Africa, Bali, and Japan.

For more information, visit the official Ultra website or Facebook page.


Italian Disco Comes To Bedroom

Born along the Sputnik orbit and once a scholar at a famous Catholic music school, he is now known as the Italo freak disco guy from Rome. DJ Rodion will be in Kuala Lumpur Bedroom to drown you with unique electronic Italo Disco that is far from the norm.

DJ Rodion born as Ed Cianfanni, he is dubbed the ‘’new genius of Italian Dance Music’’ he not only is the producer of Helen Feng´s (ex-Pet Conspiracy lead singer & current FreeTheBirds/Ziyo frontwoman) new solo project NOVA HEART.

DJ Rodion is fully tuned into the extraterrestrial beat, influencing Japanese science fiction animation soundtracks of the 70’s with dramatic melodies of Italian horror movies.

The Italian freak disco from Rome will be in Bedroom KL with his immense energy and creativity this Merdeka Eve. Put on your leotards and mustaches cause the party is only going to get bigger, crazier and a whole load freakier. So get ready for a sweaty space-disco experience.

For more information, hit up Bedroom’s Facebook page.


Eric Tsang Fell Asleep At Malaysia’s “Golden Job” Press Conference

The gang from “Young & Dangerous” have finally reunited in a new crime-action film titled “Golden Job” which follows 5 former mercenaries who get together for one last heist.

Over the weekend, the main cast of the movie including Ekin Chan, Chin Ka-lok, Eric Tsang, and Jerry Lamb were in Malaysia to promote the movie.

According to Eric Tsang, Malaysia was chosen as the final destination of their tour because the country has the most enthusiastic and warm-hearted fans.

“I’m very familiar with Malaysia. I’ve shot many films and series here, and I love that the people here are always so warm and welcoming,” Eric said during “Golden Job” press conference.

When director Chin Ka-lok was talking about the relationship between the 5 main cast, Eric Tsang who was also the executive producer of “Golden Job” was seen secretly dozing off on his chair.

“The 5 of us (Ekin, Jordan, Michael, Jerry and Chin) have known each other for 22 years, so we’re very comfortable with each other and we’re used to each others’ antics,” Chin explained.

“We’ve discussed almost everything among each other including the script, lines, and we even come out with each others’ names for the movie.”

Chin said that the co-stars relationship has gotten even closer via the movie as they spent 11 months together. Before continuing his talk, Chin noticed that Eric has fallen asleep so he whispered to the audience, “Let’s not talk so loud, the Prize Master (獎門人 – Eric’s nickname from his famous variety show “The Super Trio series”) is sleeping”.

After Chin said that, the audience burst in laughter, which in turn woke Eric up.

Chin paid homage to the famous variety show, explaining that their close relationship was also nurtured during his days in the “Super Trio Series” where he and Jerry were the assistants of Eric back then.

This is not the first time Eric fell asleep at a press conference. When promoting the movie in Taiwan, the actor was also caught sleeping on his chair.

Director Chin expressed his gratitude to Eric, adding that “Golden Job” would never have happened if Eric Tsang didn’t give him the push that he needs.

“The 5 of us talked about this before that it has been 18 years since we starred in a film together. We wanted to make it happen but we couldn’t find the right opportunity and direction,” Chin Ka-lok said.

“So 3 years ago, Eric approach me with a story because he believed that I would be the right candidate to direct the film and he wanted all 5 of us in the movie.”

“That’s why I can say this outright, if Eric didn’t approach me back then. You wouldn’t be seeing all of 5 of us on screen today,” he added.

Chin Ka-lok said that many fans loved seeing the brotherhood and bromance between the 5 of them, which Eric joked “You don’t get to see this kind of gay action film in cinemas.”

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Dakota Has BFF KStew’s Back

Ever since we first saw her starring alongside Sean Penn and Michelle Pfeiffer in “I Am Sam”, we always knew that this little one was going to make it big in Hollywood someday. Even back then, Dakota Fanning was matured and wise beyond her years!

Today, Dakota Fanning is Hollywood’s youngest and fastest rising star (over 30 films to date and the youngest nominee for a Screen Actors Guild Award) although she’s only a teen actress. And while “The Twilight Saga” has already wrapped up, nobody can quite forget her role as the high-ranking Volturi vampire, Jane.

Also, despite all the fame, Dakota has managed to stay perfectly “real” (read: grounded). So real, she recently opened up to “InStyle” magazine about her super close friendship with her “Twilight” co-star, Kristen Stewart.

When we’re together, we’re not talking about movie stuff. She’s just my really good friend, you know? We go out. We stay in a lot too. I’m a homebody! The scandal, well, I just think that media frenzies like that. Everyone thinks they have the right to, you know, publicize the struggles and sadness and heartbreak and all that. It’s like, “Why do you think you are the authority to judge people’s experiences?”

In a separate interview with “USA Today”, Dakota also said, “She cooks for me. She loves to cook. I go to her house. Certainly there are times it’s crazy but we’re also just friends. We go to Target to get wrapping paper. She had to do things like everyone else. She’s 100% herself 100% of the time, which is admirable and difficult to do. She’s very unapologetic of herself. She does everything to the fullest. She’s really honest.”

Yup. This BFF’s for keeps, that’s for sure.  The BFFs also star alongside each other in the glam-rock Joan Jett biopic, “The Runaways”.


Britney Calls Off Engagement, Quits Show

Oh, what? Is Britney Spears throwing a tantrum? In a whirlwind of decision-making, the American pop star has decided to call it quits with both fiancé Jason Trawick and as a celebrity judge on “The X Factor”. Gasp!

31-year-old Britney Spears and 41-year-old Jason Trawick began dating in May 2010 and got engaged in December 2011. The soon-to-be-official-love-union was highly publicized and there was not one person who didn’t know about it.

Some have said that it was a little too soon because Britney had just recovered from her other personal issues e.g. Kevin Federline divorce, losing custody of her children, meltdown, entering rehab, etc. Perhaps they spoke too soon?

Britney released an official statement following the announcements which read:

Jason and I have decided to call off our engagement. I’ll always adore him and we will remain great friends. I had an incredible time doing “X Factor” and I love the other judges and I am so proud of my teens but it’s time for me to get back in the studio. Watching them all do their thing up on stage every week made me miss performing so much! I can’t wait to get back out there and do what I love most.

Her marriage to Jason Trawick, if it followed through, would’ve been her third. If you recall, Britney Spears spontaneously married childhood friend Jason Alexander during a trip to Las Vegas in 2004. It lasted 55 hours before the singer annulled the union. Following which, she then married dancer Kevin Federline, with whom she had her two children. Britney and K-Fed then divorced in 2006, which led to a flurry of post-split lawsuits and issues.

Aww, Britney. You do what you need to do. We just hope it (read: the calling off of engagement) has got nothing to do with the whole drama with K-Fed’s brother, Chris Federline.


1 Utama Launches 1st Mall Skatepark In Klang Valley

Whether you’re a long-time skate lover or new to the sport, we have some fantastic news for you. There’s a new skatepark opening up in 1 Utama Shopping Centre!

Of course, it’s got the necessary structures for skaters and others to perform their tricks on. However, this skatepark was notably made with both newbies and pros in mind. And we’ve got renowned pro skater and skatepark designer Tim Altic to thank for that.

Tim has been skating for 45 years and has been designing skateparks since 1977. His love for the sport can be clearly seen in the details and the thoughts he puts into building his skateparks. This time, he’s taken care to make a park that has plenty of flat areas for beginners, while including several exciting obstacles for pros to play around on. However, what’s most impressive is the flowing design of the park.

Skaters will enjoy weaving their own routes in this park as there’s plenty of paths they can choose to take. From skimming flat areas to practice and maintain their balance before picking up speed on wave ramps, they can then choose to perform some tricks or continue cruising. Tim has included several ramps and banks of varying heights, rails for grinding, ledges and a hip. All of this is sheltered by a giant overhead bridge, providing skaters protection from rain and shine.

A post shared by Hype Malaysia (@hypemy)

The dream for the park was to make it interesting and fun, while simultaneously ensuring it’s beginner friendly. After all, the more the merrier! Tim himself is currently pretty satisfied with the park, having taken a spin on it with a few friends.

However, the park will only be ready and open to the public in July. In the meantime, polish your skateboards, blades, bikes and scooters. We’ll see you in 1 Utama’s first ever free and unsupervised skatepark come July!

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Livescape Pres. NSFW Ft. 12th Planet

After a month’s hiatus, NSFW is back fresher than ever. September is going to sizzle like no other with the return of the bass music revolution for 2012 so get ready for NSFW featuring 12th Planet!

Like the mythological 12th Planet, John Dadzie’s beats are off axis and his subsonic frequencies will send you into your own orbit.

Growing up in the south of the city, John’s musical apprenticeship began in his high school days by playing in bands and regularly attending raves and jungle parties. The turning point came when he formed Imperial Recordings with DJ Lith, a stepping stone for John to excel in a field of production and management.

Today, the prolific producer has had a hand in working with some of the biggest names in the music scene including Korn, Skrillex and remixed tunes by EDM honchos, DJ Sneak, Rusko, MSTRKRFT and more:

[youtube id=”49RCMqAcOpE” width=”600″ height=”350″]

America’s first king of dubstep is ready for impact with his debut in Kuala Lumpur. Warming up the decks for 12th Planet are KL’s most loved bass music honchos, Bud Culture.

Venue: Bianco, Vertigo Club, The Gardens

Admission: RM35 inclusive of one complimentary drink

For more information, visit Livescape Asia’s Facebook page.


5 Reasons Why We Love 7-Member K-pop Group OnlyOneOf

You probably clicked on this for one of two reasons. Either 1) you’re looking for some fresh new music to put on your playlist, or 2) you’re already invested in OnlyOneOf (온리원오브), and want to see if we mentioned your reasons for loving the group.

Whatever it is, OnlyOneOf is one of the hottest rookie groups in K-pop right now. Since their debut last May under 8D Creative, the K-pop group has been gaining tons of traction. Here are 5 reasons why we can’t get enough of OnlyOneOf:

Rather than hard-hitting bangers and party hits typical of idol groups, much of OnlyOneOf’s music would be considered lo-fi R&B with elements of future bass, reminiscent of K-indie tracks. The group’s latest mini-album “Produced by [ ] Part 1” sees them collaborating with notable hip-hop producers GRAY, BOYCOLD and Cha Cha Malone.

The group’s music follows a dot-line-plane series, which represents the group’s wish to share their growth. As their resident self-promotion expert Rie elaborates, “time leap” from the first mini album “dot point jump” signified a point, and “sage” from the second mini album “line sun goodness” represented a line. The song “dOra maar”, released in January, and this new EP, “Produced by [ ] Part 1”, are the steps progressing from that line to a plane. All the albums released so far are connected to one another.

With their covers, OnlyOneOf is cementing their reputation as a versatile idol group open to learning about new cultures and appealing to a wide audience. See their covers of “Don’t Start Now” and “MALAMENTE” below. Need we say more?

Many K-pop idol reality shows feature behind-the-scenes action, or episodes in which your favourite groups are featured playing games or completing challenges. Enter “Unlocking Love”, a show in which the group’s challenge is… to date. Now those are real stakes.

If you’re not already familiar with K-pop, there exists a long-standing implicit dating ban among idols. With this show, OnlyOneOf defy this ban, allowing their personalities to shine through in the most unconventional situation K-Pop fans can imagine. Brace yourself for some serious character development as these seven young men learn about various aspects of dating.

If you’re the type that needs a steady stream of content to get through to your favourite group’s next comeback, you’re in luck. OnlyOneOf releases plenty of vlogs giving fans a peek into their daily lives. And before you ask, yes, there are English subtitles.

With OnlyOneOf, it’s still not too late to get started – for one, it’s incredibly easy to learn the fan chants for each of their title tracks with their handy cheer guide videos! Perhaps the most exciting thing about following a rookie group is that you can watch them grow and proclaim yourself an OG fan when they ultimately soar in popularity.

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8 Giant Hypermarkets To Offer 80% Discount Clearance Sale

Just as Giant Malaysia is celebrating its 73rd year in the market, GCH Retail (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd has issued a statement confirming the closure of 5 outlets.

As aforementioned, the hypermarkets will cease operations by this coming Sunday (5th November). We just found out that 8 Giant outlets (including the 5 previously stated stores) will be offering up to 80% off on all items during the clearance sale. This comes after it was announced that Parkson Melaka Mall will be closing down by 10th December this year.

As you may know, the 5 Giant hypermarkets that will be closing down are:

6. Giant Bercham (Ipoh)
7. Giant Senai (Johor)
8. Giant Segamat (Johor)

Do note that the clearance sale for all 8 Giant outlets will take place from 24th November till 10th December. Having said that, there has not been any official announcement yet. We’ll update this post if there are further changes.


MyGalaxyS6: The Next (Galaxy S6 + Galaxy S6 edge) Has Arrived In Malaysia

Samsung Malaysia Electronics today announced the arrival of the highly anticipated Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge in Malaysia. You might’ve already been briefly introduced to the smartphones previously, but now, let’s take a closer look at it.

Beautifully crafted from metal and glass, Samsung has reinvented the smartphone with this stunning addition to the Samsung Galaxy portfolio. Creating a new standard for design, craftsmanship, and performance, the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge define what’s next in mobility giving consumers an unmatched mobile experience.

A video posted by Hype Malaysia (@hypemy) on Apr 1, 2015 at 8:33pm PDT

And yes, Malaysia is one of the first few countries in Southeast Asia to witness the official arrival of the 2 smartphones.

Here’s what we now know about the smartphones, having seen it firsthand:

The Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge is carefully crafted from metal and glass.The Galaxy S6 edge in particular has its glass body made from Corning Gorilla Glass 4 – the toughest glass to date.

Both phones come in an array of colourful jewel tones, incges luding White Pearl, Black Sapphire, Gold Platinum, Blue Topaz (Galaxy S6 exclusive), and Green Emerald (Galaxy S6 edge exclusive), which elicit a unique visual texture as it reflects natural light.

The Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge are equipped with an incredibly vivid, bright and fast front and reare camera. The f1.9 aperture and high resolution sensors on both front (5MP) and rear (16MP) cameras provide the most superior image quality in a smartphone, even in the dark.

In adition, Auto Real-time High Dynamic Range (HDR), Smart Optical Image Stabilisation (OIS), and IR Detect White Balance provide advanced light sensitivities and crisp camera solutions. On top of that, a new “Quick Launch” feature gives users fast, direct access to the camera from any screen in just  0.7 seconds* by simply double clicking the home key button.

With fully embedded WPC and PMA certified wireless charging standard, the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge are setting a new industry standard for universal wireless charging. The devices work with any wireless charging pad available in the market that supports WPC and PMA standards.

They also sport incredibly fast wired charging, 1.5 times faster than the Galaxy S5, providing up to 4 hours of usage after only 10 minutes of charging.*

The thin (6.8mm/7.0mm edge) and lightweight (138g/132g edge) Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge integrate the most advanced, cutting-edge, Samsung core technology available today. The world’s first 12nm mobile processor a=with 64-bit platforms, new LPDDR4 RAM and UFS 2.0 flash memory provide higher performance and enhanced memory sped with lower power consumption. Moreover, the world’s first 1440P/VP9 hardware-based codec enables users to enjoy high-resolution streaming video while also using less power.

In addition, the 5.1-inch Quad HD Super AMOLED screen offers users the highest pixel density of 577ppi. Enhanced outdoor visibility with a brighter display lets consumer experience content without compromise – anywhere, at any time.

The Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge are built on the upgraded Samsung KNOX, end-to-end secure mobile platform, offering defense-frade features for real-time protection from potential malicious attacks. Both of these new devices are ready for immediate enterprise adoption, with market leading MDMs and KNOX enhancements enabled at launch to simplify and improve mobile device management.

Additionally, the “Find My Mobile” featured secures lost devices and protects personal information through a number of services, including the all-new remotely controlled “Reactivation lock”.

Samsung Malaysia’s Personalised Pick-Up Service

Also announced at the launch today was Samsung Malaysia’s pick-up service. What the service does is offer a personalised pick-up service for the new Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge if there’s no Samsung service centre near you, the owner. And if that’s not attractive enough, the service will be offered for free to all customers who have bought the Galaxy S6 or Galaxy S6 edge.

To arrange for one, all you need to do is call the 24-hour dedicated careline at 1800 88 7799. The service will only be available for the 2 flagship devices.

The Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge will retail at RM2,599 and RM3,099 (prices are inclusive of 6% GST) respectively and available in Malaysia from 17th April onwards with 32GB storage option.

Malaysians can pre-order their Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge from 3rd – 12th April through the Samsung Malaysia website. Those who pre-order the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge will receive a free wireless charger*.

For more detailed device information, hit up Samsung Malaysia’s website.

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#BAP: Bang Yong Guk To Go On Temporary Hiatus; Will Not Take Part In Album Promos

TS Entertainment has confirmed that B.A.P leader Bang Yong Guk won’t be able to join in their latest album promotions as he’s currently facing health issues.

The company informed fans that after a checkup at a hospital, doctors diagnosed the leader with panic disorder. After discussions, the members of B.A.P decided that Yong Guk should be focusing on his recovery, and the other 5 members will work harder so that fans wouldn’t be disappointed.

“Hello, this is TS Entertainment. First, we want to thank everyone for their support prior to the release of B.A.P’s 2nd studio album, which will be released on 7th November. While we hate to impart bad news, leader Bang Yong Guk recently visited the hospital due to health problems and was diagnosed with panic disorder.

As a result, Bang Yong Guk and the members decided that the group would continue with promotions with just 5 members, as the first priority is Bang Yong Guk’s recovery. While B.A.P is promoting, Bang Yong Guk will be focusing on receiving professional treatment and getting better.

As this new album is a product of a lot of hard work, and as much as the fans and B.A.P members have waited for this, the 5 members will do their best to fill in for Bang Yong Guk.

The leader himself informed fans about the decision, as he tweeted, “I will try to return again healthy. As the leader, since I can’t be together with the members and fans, all I can do is think it’s a shame and be sorry. Please show more interest and support for the other members.”

The other members also took the time to assure fans by posting encouraging and sweet messages on Twitter.

Daehyun wrote, “You were really surprised at the sudden news, weren’t you, Baby? Bang Yong Guk is always working hard and trying hard as our group’s leader. As he takes a rest, I also want to support him so that he can get well again. Also, I think that your support and love will be even more helpful than my own in helping him recover faster. So let’s all cheer on Bang Yong Guk! Please all be together for Bang Yong Guk’s empty spot in this album! We’ll coolly present to you this album that Bang Yong Guk worked so hard on. I’m always grateful. I love you, Baby.”

Meanwhile, Himchan posted an comforting message to fans, stating, “I think you must have been very surprised by this sudden news. My friend is ill so I’m worried and upset, but there are more days in the future when we will promote together, and I will help a lot so that he can soon return to stand in front of all of you again in good form. And he’ll be back very soon. It will all be okay. We’ll try very hard too and help him, everyone.”

Vocalist Youngjae expressed his sincere feelings towards the group leader, saying, “I’m writing to everyone who must have been very surprised to hear this news. Bang Yong Guk is producing this album, and he is trying very hard to make an even better B.A.P together with us and stand on stage. The weight on him must be severe as both B.A.P’s leader and the producer. I feel sorry towards him when I think about how I cannot share that weight as a member and a younger friend. We’re unable to promote this album together. So we’re trying to fill up Bang Yong Guk’s spot this time. Of course, I think that we can’t fill it up 100 percent. Still, I think it will be okay somehow if the 5 of us work together with all of you. Please be together with us this time, just as you have done for us up until now. Thank you for always being such a reliable pillar of support for us. I love you, Babys.”

Jongup also took the chance to communicate with fans, and urged fans to continue supporting the leader. He posted on Twitter, “If you keep supporting him and loving him, Bang Yong Guk will be able to come back soon too. It’s really too bad that we can’t promote together this time, but I want him to get better soon so that we can stand on stage together again. Please give him a lot of strength so that that can happen.”

B.A.P is slated to make their comeback on 7th November with their 2nd full album “NOIR”. It will be their 3rd comeback after their 1 year hiatus, which was plagued by lawsuits and contract problems revolving their company.

To keep yourself up to date with B.A.P’s news, visit B.A.P’s official website and Facebook page.


#EXO: Chanyeol Cast In New Film “Jangsu Shop”

Get ready, EXO-L! Chanyeol the “happy virus” of EXO will be making his movie debut as an actor soon!

It has been confirmed that EXO’s Chanyeol will be starred an upcoming film “Jangsu Shop” along with Park Geun Hyung, Yoon Yeo Jung, Jo Jin Woong, Han Ji Min, Hwang Woo Seul Hye, and Moon Ga Young. According to CJ Entertainment, Chanyeol is cast in the film as Min Sung, the boyfriend of a small market owner Jang Su’s (played by Jo Jin Woong) daughter Ah Young (played by Moon Ga Young).

The film was previously known as “The Last First Love” but it has been changed to portray warm family values. No release date has been set for the film yet but the filming will begin later this month.

Meanwhile, EXO’s Luhan will be starring in an upcoming Chinese film, “Twenties Once Again/Mid-Twenties”, which is set to premiere in winter this year. The film has recently wrapped up its production and Luhan even posted a thank you note for everyone who was involved in the project:

I’ve finished filming my first movie! During this period of time, I really want to thank teacher Gui Ya Lei, Zi Shan noona, Bolin, director Chen Zhengdai, all my seniors and all the staff that helped and encouraged me. I’ve learnt a lot of new things and I will continue to work hard! I am honoured to able to be involved in this film with everyone. I hope that we will have chances to work together in the future!

The romantic-comedy movie was dubbed the Chinese version of the Korean film, “Miss Granny”, in which the Luhan plays the grandson of the female lead in the film.

That having said, let’s not forget that EXO’s D.O was the first member to make a movie debut as he joined the cast as the son of the female lead for the film, “Cart”. The film will premiere first in September at Toronto International Film Festival. Starring Moon Jung Hee, Kim Kang Woo, and Kim Young Ae, the film centres on a single mother who works at a large store until she is wrongfully dismissed and decides to take a stand.

So, whose or which film are you most excited about watching? Let us know in the comments!

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Investors From China To Purchase iflix From Debt Crisis?

Local video streaming platform iflix is reportedly in sale talks as a result of the company’s ongoing debt crisis.

As reported by Nikkei, iflix has appointed two executives from a distressed asset specialist to come onboard. Apparently, some of the potential buyers include investors from China and is expected to be sold by the end of this month.

For those who don’t know, iflix chairman Patrick Grove and co-founder Luke Elliot had officially left the board of directors in April, which has added fuel to the fire. Around that time, the company had reportedly cut its workforce to less than 65 people. The decision was made with the intention to reduce operating costs.

Word on the street has it that iflix was facing a debt crisis with a net loss of USD158.1 million (~RM675 million) in 2018. While in 2019, the company recorded a negative working capital of USD77.7 million (~RM331 million). Additionally, it is believed that the debt payment is approaching, which is on 31st July 2020.

Besides Malaysia, the platform is currently available in 13 countries in Asia including Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines. No words yet whether they have received any new funding from investors.


#AaronCrow: Belgian Magician Brings “Fearless!” Show To Resorts World Genting

Do you enjoy watching magic performances with risky stunts mixed with suspense and some mystery? Then we’ve got the perfect show to wow you.

Aptly titled “Fearless! Cheating Death Nightly!”, this is no ordinary magic show by Aaron Crow, the Belgian magician extraordinaire who is also known as The Silent Mentalist. Guests can expect an evening filled with heart-stopping, thrilling, and spectacular acts that will leave everyone at the edge of their seats.

“Fearless! Cheating Death Nightly!” follows the theme of facing our fears head-on and conquering them. As a warrior with a mission, Crow says, “We can all overcome our fears, we can all become stronger. The time is now; A new year, a new you, a fearless you“.

With his fusion of magic, suspense, risky stunts and mystery, Aaron is able to capture the crowd’s attention without uttering a single word. His unmatched power and eloquent silence has long since become his onstage trademark, always leaving his audience at the edge of their seats and longing for more.

In Crow’s official website, it states: “At the age of 3, Aaron was rushed to hospital with a needle stuck in his throat. It was a frightening experience, although luckily he made a complete recovery. On his 12th birthday, Aaron’s parents gave him a book about the legendary Harry Houdini. From the book, Aaron learned that Houdini – the greatest showman of his era – used to perform a famous routine in which he swallowed many sharp needles”.

But it was the encounter with a mouse that crawled on his back when he was 5 that really inspired him to think about how people overcome fears, and the first step in doing so was to confront them.

Well-known for his audition on the smash hit TV show “Britain’s Got Talent”, Crow impressed the judges (yep, even the infamous and dreaded Simon Cowell) and left the audience in awe. Although he didn’t walk away as the winner, he did make it to the semi-finals and finished in 4th.

“Fearless! Cheating Death Nightly!” is scheduled to take place at Genting International Showroom, from 18th March to 15th May.

There is also an Early Bird Promotion that entitles 30% discount to Genting Rewards members and 20% discount to non-members. Tickets are available here.

For more information, hit up Resorts World Genting’s website or call 03-2718 1118.


#DITSMalaysia: 3 Highlights From Our “Watch The Race From The Sky” Experience

Fancy having your meal high above ground? No, we don’t mean eating peanuts on an airplane. It’s a typical 4-course meal prepared by a chef – except that it’s in the sky.

The aerial dining experience is back in Malaysia again, this time held at the South Paddock of Sepang International Circuit. Patrons will be hoisted up 150 feet above ground level during the Shell Malaysia Motorcycle Grand Prix – hence the attraction “Watch The Race From The Sky”, which is a by-product of the Dinner In The Sky experience.

Held over the course of 3 days (from 28th October till 30th October), the thrilling experience gave diners an amazing view of the MotoGP race and a 360° view of the track.

Last Friday (28th October), we were invited to take part in the preview for “Watch The Race From The Sky” and boy, were we pumped up during the days leading up to the occasion. Can you blame us? Not many have had the opportunity to dine openly while high up in the sky.

Here are some of our highlights from “Watch The Race From The Sky”:

To all MotoGP enthusiasts, watching the MotoGP race on your home soil is a thrilling experience in itself. But watching the various warm-up sessions on the day gave us a taste of what MotoGP fans will experience when one of the biggest motorcycle races on earth takes at the race track down below.

A photo posted by Hype Malaysia (@hypemy) on Oct 27, 2016 at 9:18pm PDT

The chef on duty presented us with a plate of decorative food, consisting of 4 canapés. From left to right: Cured salmon served with garden greens with plum and apple cider dressing, baked potato layers with mushroom and chestnut duxelle, chicken roulade with Asian barbeque glaze, and last but not least, red velvet cone with cream cheese frosting.

Instead of the usual Dinner In The Sky treatment, we’re getting our very own Breakfast In The Sky aka Watch The Race From The Sky. #DITSmalaysia #DITS #DITSmy #DinnerInTheSky #Sepang #Malaysia

A photo posted by Hype Malaysia (@hypemy) on Oct 27, 2016 at 7:41pm PDT

We are certainly no daredevils. So what if you’re scared to death of heights? Is it still worth the risk? Hell yeah!

Rest assured that the staff at hand will fasten your seat belts to make sure that everyone is safely secured before taking to the sky. While it can be nerve-wrecking to look down below, we’d advised you to focus on your surroundings instead. Take in the beautiful view and look into the vast distance. We’re sure you’d be able to snap several Instagram-worthy photos ;)

“Watch The Race From The Sky” details are as follows:

For future bookings, hit up www.dinnerinthesky.my. For more information, visit their Facebook page.

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Up Close & Personal With The Lotus F1 Team!

CLEAR and Rexona, the world’s leading personal care brands by Unilever, organised a media meet and greet with the Lotus F1 Team to celebrate the second year of partnership, which was powered in 2012 as a direct result of similar shared values – passion, ambition, precision and excellence in performance.

Fuelled by a desire to be the best in class, CLEAR and Rexona have been perfectly matched with the Lotus F1 Team to honour ambitious men with the thrill of speed and a passion for energy. 2012, the same year when the partnership with CLEAR and Rexona was announced, was an exciting season for the Lotus F1 Team. The team finished on the podium ten times and won the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

At the event, 2007 Formula One World Champion, Kimi Räikkönen talked of his hopes for his second season with Lotus F1 Team after his successful comeback to the sport:

Last year was my return to Formula 1 and it went pretty well. This year will be my second with Lotus F1 Team and my eleventh season overall in Formula 1 so I’ve got a pretty good idea of what to expect. I’m sure it will be an exciting season and I’m sure there’ll be lots to talk about. For me, I will continue to do the best I can; let’s see how good our car is, and how good the others on the grid are too.

The event also saw the launch of their “Helmets for Heads” campaign, a global initiative aimed at promoting road safety by raising funds for the purchase and distribution of helmets in lower income communities. In partnership with the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020, signed helmets were auctioned off to raise funds for the acquisition and distribution of helmets for vulnerable road users.

To further extend the excitement of the partnership to the consumers, CLEAR and Rexona are offering six privileged individuals will enjoy a five-day-four-night trip to Monaco with all accommodation and flight expenses paid. In order to participate in this nationwide initiative, participants need to purchase a minimum of RM 10 worth of CLEAR or Rexona products followed by answering a simple question.

Click to view more pictures from the exclusive meet and greet session!

For more information, visit their official website.