#MyDeposit: PM Najib Launches First Home Deposit Funding Scheme

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak officially launched MyDeposit, or First Home Deposit Funding Scheme, during the National Housing Council Meeting yesterday (6th April). This initiative is aimed to assist middle-income group that has a household income of RM10,000 and below.

First-time house buyers can apply for the scheme online at the Urban Well Being, Housing, and Local Government Ministry website starting today (7th April).

Under MyDeposit, the government will contribute 10% from the sale price, or maximum RM30,000 (whichever is lower), to first-time buyers looking for homes priced below RM500,000. Besides that, the scheme also provides incentives to encourage them to build more affordable houses.

“This is to assist the M40 group, or those with household income of between RM3,000 and RM9,000,” said Najib in an announcement in the Parliament yesterday.

The Prime Minister mentioned that properties priced up to RM300,000 will be reserved for first-time house buyers will take effect this month. The Affordable Homes Carnival will be held in Serdang this July, where more than 50,000 new units would be on sale.

At the end of the council meeting, Najib proceeded to witness the signing of an agreement between Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) and Perbadanan PR1MA Malaysia (PR1MA) to develop a plot of land for 786 houses in Kajang.

For more information, visit the Urban Well Being, Housing, and Local Government’s website.


#MAS: Flights On 26th To 29th September To Be Rescheduled For Aerial Survey

For those flying with Malaysia Airlines, we’ve got news for you.

The airline has announced a temporary closure of Kuala Lumpur airspace for an aerial survey, and it will be affecting flights to and fro Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) from 26th ’til 29th September.

Flights that are arriving and departing the airport between 11am – 11:59pm and 2pm – 2:59pm on the aforementioned days will either be rescheduled or cancelled. Several international and domestic flights are affected.

As such, MAS is advising passengers to arrive early for check-ins, and to ensure that all documents that are required for travel are up-to-date. For those who are travelling internationally, travels and entry visas are a must; while for those who travel domestically, a valid MyKad or MyKid is required.

Alternatively, passengers can also check-in via web on www.malaysiaairlines.com or MHmobile at flymas.mobi which opens 48 hours till 90 minutes before departure.

For the list of affected flights, customers can access this link.

For more info, visit Malaysia Airlines’ official website and Facebook page.

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Thailand’s 7-Eleven Is Selling Limited Edition Avengers Merchandise

You can never walk into a 7-Eleven store in Thailand and just come out empty handed. No! That’s literally impossible, because there are so many rare items you can find in the store that you can’t get in any other 7-Eleven shop.

There are so many reasons for us to visit Thailand’s 7-Eleven, but now, the biggest reason to go there is because the 7-Eleven shop has recently introduced plenty of limited edition Avengers goodies.

There are breakfast box set that comes with matching cup and spoon, glass mugs with cute covers featuring “Avengers” characters, water bottles, umbrellas, coolers, phone grips, neck pillows, notebooks, and more!

Some of the items come in several designs and the prices of these items are quite cheap. The water bottle costs 89 baht (RM12) and it comes with a drink, the umbrella is priced at 149 baht (RM20), the cooler costs 339 baht (RM45), and the mug costs 179 baht (RM24).

For more info on the limited edition Avengers goodies, check out Thailand’s 7-Eleven Facebook page.


Concert Review: Calum Scott Brought Us To Tears During His KL Concert

“Gosh, this show was worth every cent,” we overheard this sentiment from concert-goers as people begun exiting Plenary Hall KLCC after watching Calum Scott performed live for 1.5 hours in front of approximately 2000 fans.

After touring around Asia – namely Japan, Manila, Bangkok, and Jakarta – Calum’s latest pitstop for his “Bridges” tour brought him back to Kuala Lumpur. He wasn’t alone this time around though. We were introduced to Mitch James, who has been the opening act for Calum throughout most of his tour.

Mitch James is a talented singer-songwriter from New Zealand (who has previously opened for big acts like Ed Sheeran and Six60). The Kiwi artiste sang a couple of pop acoustics and got personal when he sang about feeling lost (“Motions”), an ex-girlfriend (“Bright Blue Skies”), a trip to Japan with his former flame that never came to be (“Japan”), and also being inspired by mommy dearest (“Fade To Black”).

Around 9pm, the lights dimmed, signalling the man of the hour – Calum Scott. An introduction audio of him echoed throughout the hall, where he talked about the making of his sophomore album “Bridges” and what music means to him. As soon as the 34-year-old took to the stage with “Rise” and “I’ll Be There”, we were hooked.

Before the infamous “Crying Corner” segment, Calum spoke to the audience, “Selamat sejahtera Kuala Lumpur. It’s great to be back. We’re going to make you dance in your seats, on your feet and make you cry and cry some more. I just wanna say we’re going to take you on a journey.” It was an emotional journey, yet very cathartic for yours truly and many others present that night.

There were many laughter and tears throughout the night as Calum sang his catalogue of beautiful songs including “Cross Your Mind”, “Biblical”, “Flaws” (where he encouraged all of us accept our imperfections), “Bridges” (one of the darkest times of his life when he contemplated taking his own life), and our personal favourite – “No Matter What”, the song about him coming out to his mother.

For his Malaysian concert, Calum decided to swap “Boys In The Street” for another song- “Love Is Just A Word” a duet he did with Jasmine Thompson – after hearing that this song has been a fan-favourite hit among Malaysians. Mitch James was invited back on stage to perform the track together. Since this was an impromptu number, Calum admitted that they barely had time to rehearse properly, but the duo pulled it off with their harmonies blending together perfectly.

The Britain’s Got Talent star also spoke of his past, a time when he was in a Maroon 5 cover band (or rather Maroon 4 since they lacked a 5th band member). He even joked about being frontman Adam Levine, but minus the creepy DMs (throwing shade at his recent cheating scandals). He then sang Maroon 5’s “This Love”, before moving on to more uptempo numbers like “Where Are You Now” and “Run With Me”.

The crowd got progressively louder and everyone erupted when Calum began singing “You Are the Reason”, with him saying, “Kuala Lumpur, you are my reason.” As with other Asian countries where he invited his duet partners on stage to perform the single “Heaven”, everyone cheered as our very own local singer and actress Diana Danielle appeared to deliver a beautiful ballad with Calum.

A post shared by Hype Malaysia (@hypemy)

Calum finished off the night by returning for an encore to perform the song that shot him to fame – his cover of “Dancing On My Own”. As aforementioned, a Calum Scott concert is not to be missed. We thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish.

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Hype’s Now Playing: Paul McCartney — Queenie Eye

We’ve never seen so many celebrities in a music video!

Sir James Paul McCartney proves that when you’re a Beatle, you can get anyone to star in your video. Better known as Paul McCartney, the video to his new track Queenie Eye, directed by Simon Aboud was filmed at the Abbey Road Studios and features a string of celebrities who make an appearance in the video.

The slightly over four-minute star studded video featured among others, Meryl Streep, Johnny Depp, Kate Moss, Jude Law, Tracey Ullman, Jeremy Irons, Tom Ford, Sean Penn and Chris Pine.

Watch the video below and keep your eye out for more famous faces:


#DoctorStrange: Marvel Casts Benedict Cumberbatch, In Final Negotiations

We will eat our words now. Due to Benedict Cumberbatch’s busy schedule, we said it would be nearly impossible that Marvel will cast the British actor as the Sorcerer Supreme, Doctor Strange. He was one of the first names suggested to play the character, alongside Tom Hardy.

But when it comes to Marvel, it seems like the “Sherlock” star might just squeeze some time in to become a superhero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Deadline is now reporting that Benedict Cumberbatch is indeed going to play Doctor Strange and he is in final negotiations with the studio to take up the lead role.

The results came after months of speculation surrounding the casting of Doctor Strange, with Joaquin Phoenix emerging as Marvel’s top choice to play the Sorcerer Supreme. However, although he did enter the final talks for lead role, the negotiations eventually fell apart and the “Her” star will not be part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

And the casting was back to square one. During the speculation period, “Matrix” actor Keanu Reeves and Jared Leto are some of the actors that were suggested to take up the lead role. Obviously, Marvel Studios did not respond to any of the rumours as they are now trying to lock down Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange.

Marvel’s “Doctor Strange” feature film is currently in development as part of “Phase Three” of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It was reported that the studio has dated the film’s release for 8th July 2016. The production team is all set to move to Shepperton, UK before the unconfirmed shoot date in May 2015.

“Deliver Us From Evil” director Scott Derrickson will direct “Doctor Strange” while Prometheus screenwriter Jon Spaihts will rewrite the script. The plot has not been confirmed yet but the film would be a doorway to the “mind-trippy” supernatural side of Marvel’s Universe, where the evil forces of the inter-dimensional demon Dormammu and Baron Mordo could be the potential villains for the film.

So, what are your thoughts on this? Do you think Benedict Cumberbatch will be a great Doctor Strange? Who else do you think should take up the lead role? Sound off in the comments box below!


Hype’s Now Playing: M83 – Holes In The Sky (ft. HAIM)

Shailene Woodley once again reunited with M83 as the latter has teamed up with the HAIM sisters for the soundtrack of Woodley’s upcoming novel-turned-movie “Insurgent.”

French electronic music band M83’s “I Need You” was released as the soundtrack for “Divergent“, Neil Burger’s sci-fi film that starred Woodley. The actress starred as Beatrice “Tris” Prior, a strong-willed female protagonist who doesn’t fit into any designated category in a post-apocalyptic world.

She “reunited” with M83 again through “The Fault In Our Stars” as the band’s “Wait” was featured in the movie. Woodley starred in the movie as Hazel Grace Lancaster, a 16-year-old cancer patient who meets and falls in love with Augustus Waters (played by “Divergent” co-star Ansel Elgort) in a support group.

M83 returned to the sequel of “Divergent” with HAIM through a newly released track titled “Holes In The Sky”. HAIM told MTV News that they have been “fans of Anthony Gonzalez and M83 for a long long time” and expressed that they were “ecstatic” when Gonzalez approached them to have them featured as the vocals.

We had the best time in the studio with him, it all happened so fast and was so easy and natural. We are so excited to be a part of this movie.

With Gonzalez’s beautiful composition skills, the song was further complemented with HAIM sisters’ rich vocals.

Zack Hemsey, who is best known for his composed piece “Mind Heist”, has contributed a song for “Insurgent” as well. Hemsey’s “See What I’ve Become” was featured in the official trailer of the movie. However, the official score for the movie will be composed by Joseph Trapanese.

Directed by Robert Schwentke, “Insurgent” is slated for release on 20th March 2015.

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

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Instagram, BFFs With A Friendly Green Robot Soon!

So we heard – Instagram, the free photo sharing app that has made so many iOS gadget users overnight pro photographers is finally going to be available for Android platform users too.

First of all, the Instagram app is not “just another photo editing app”. Sure, we all know apps like that are nothing new or out of the ordinary. But the fact is, it’s the only app that allows its users to create artistic photographs in one medium, only available on one platform (for now), in one size, and in one aspect ratio.

It got so fun, so big, and so crazy that according to a report, as of March 2012, it has topped 27 million registered users.

Anyway, don’t we (referring to frequent “Instagrammers”) have our own personal favourite filters already by now?

So, the rumour has been spining round and round in the mill for awhile now while demands for an Instagram for Android app screamed louder and louder with each passing month. The Instragram app for Android was in private beta for the longest time.

Well, according to Instagram’s founders, Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger, the wait for it is coming to an end pretty soon. We think they mean business this time because late Saturday, this appeared:

Yes! It’s true. And we hear that Kevin and Mike even said that the Android version, in some ways, is better than the iPhone app! Now, isn’t that something?

We’ve already signed up and we don’t see why you other Android users shouldn’t. Go here to sign-up now!

For more information, visit the official Instagram blog.


#TheMagnificentSeven: Jason Momoa Quits; Peter Sarsgaard Joins Cast

“The Magnificent Seven” has finally found their villain, and he will take the form of “Green Lantern” star Peter Sarsgaard. The actor is currently in the final stage of negotiations to play Bartholomew Bogue, head honcho of the travelling bandits.

This was accompanied by the sad news that Jason Momoa, who was previously reported to be in talks to join the movie, will no longer come aboard the production. No official statement was released, but Deadline reported that Momoa gave up the role because he allegedly “didn’t have enough to do and not much to say in the film”.

The site also stated that while Momoa may seem like a very quiet man as he does not have say much to say in his roles, citing “Game of Thrones” as an example, the actor “actually got a lot to say”. Momoa was previously rumoured to be playing one of the antagonists, but it is unsure if his character was meant to be Bogue or another unknown villain.

“The Magnificent Seven” is a remake of the 1960 classic western film of the same name. In the original movie, a group of 7 gunslingers are hired to protect a village from marauding bandits. The remake is expected to stay true to the first film, with the exception of the location that will take place in a mining town instead of a Mexican village.

The joint venture between Sony Pictures and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios (MGM Studios) will be based on a script by John Lee Hancock and Nic Pizzolatto, with Antoine Fuqua attached to helm the movie

The remake boasts an all-star cast, with big shots such as Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt, Ethan Hawke, Vincent D’Onofrio, Haley Bennett, Wagner Moura, Matt Bomer, and Lee Byung Hun joining the production.

It is slated for release on 13th January 2017.

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Hype’s Now Playing: f(x) – 4 Walls

All thanks to f(x), we now have another song to become overly obsessed with.

On 27th October (Tuesday), the SM Entertainment girl group finally made their long-awaited comeback with their 4th studio album, “4 Walls”. This came after they released tonnes of teaser images that gave us glimpses of their comeback concept.

“4 Walls” marks f(x)’s first album since releasing “Red Light” in July 2014. It also marks their first comeback without member Sulli, who officially departed from the group earlier in August to focus on her acting career.

Soompi reported that a total of 10 tracks will be included in f(x)’s new album. A plethora of talented and internationally recognised producers have featured their work in this album too, including Carly Rae Jepsen, Kenzie, Stereotypes, Monotree, and Block B‘s Zico.

The official music video for their title track of the same name was dropped alongside the album. As expected from the now 4-member group, the music video for “4 Walls” was shot beautifully in the “art film” style. Filled with dreamy cuts and unique artistic visuals, the video that is plastered with soft pastel hues brings a fresh perspective to the Korean music scene.

Accoding to Koreaboo, this ear-pleasing track is a deep house number composed by Andreas Oberg and Maria Marcus, the same UK producing duo who gave us SHINee‘s “View” and “Married To The Music“, as well as Red Velvet‘s “Dumb Dumb”. The lyrics are about the confused feelings that come after falling for someone unexpectedly.

Check out the hauntingly beautiful music video below:

So, what do you think of “4 Walls”? Have you fallen in love with them already? We thought so too ;)

“4 Walls” is now available on online music stores.

For more information, visit f(x)’s official website and Facebook page.


Bruno Mars’ Kuala Lumpur Concert Tickets Now Being Resold At RM3400

The internet blew up when it was reported that that Bruno Mars will be bringing his “24K Magic World Tour” to Malaysia next year.

Tickets for his 2018 Kuala Lumpur concert went live at 10am this morning (Monday, 14th August). 2 hours later, PR Worldwide officially announced Bruno Mars’ concert tickets were sold out. As expected, several tickets are already being resold by scalpers at a much higher price.

As you may know, the initial prices for Mars’ upcoming concert are RM398 (Cat 3), RM598 (Cat 2), and RM888 (Cat 1). Following the announcement of Mar’s sold out concert, many have taken to social media to request willing resellers to sell them their tickets. As at time of writing, there are 17 tickets currently available at resellers site, Viagogo.

A quick observation at the price range shows that tickets for Cat 3 are now being resold between RM1193 – RM1933. That’s almost 5 times the original price! Meanwhile tickets for Cat 2 are being resold at RM3409, which is more than 5 times the initial amount. Is anyone desperate enough to fork out this much cash for second-hand tickets?

If you do, take note that PR Worldwide will be tracking down resellers.

The organiser issued a statement, saying, “We will also continue to curtail secondary tickets being sold at inflated prices as this contravenes our ticket sales terms and conditions… Therefore, any ticket that is put on sale by secondary market are not valid tickets. We would like to urge all fans to refrain from purchasing tickets through unauthorised resellers as these will be voided and holders will be denied access to the venue“.

To unlucky fans who didn’t get to successfully purchase the Bruno Mars concert tickets, maybe you’d like to consider his other pitstops at Bangkok (Thailand), Manila (Philippines), or Japan.

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“The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge On The Run” Review: Nautical Nonsense Takes The Wheel

“The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge On The Run” is the third animated feature for Nickelodeon’s long-running franchise of 20 years. Originally set for release in February of 2019, this film experienced multiple delays right up until it was pushed to the streaming service, Netflix.

So, now that “Sponge On The Run” is finally here, are you all ready to hear what we thought of it? We can’t hear you! Oooooooooooo….

It’s barnacles and business as usual for the undersea dwellers of Bikini Bottom. SpongeBob and his star bud, Patrick, are their usual high-spirited and boisterous selves, much to the chagrin of their peace-deprived neighbour, Squidward. Mr Krab’s devoted worship to his finances has been prosperous thus far as his fast-food joint rakes in the profits. Plankton is still plotting and scheming his way to the Krabby Patty’s secret formula. Sandy’s busy affirming everybody of her status as a Texan and Gary… well… (“mao”).

However, tragedy strikes when the yellow sponge’s adorable pet pal gets snail-napped! Who could have been so devious to commit such a heinous act?!

It turns out (yeah, no surprise here) Plankton was behind the crime as his pursuit for the secret formula led him to realise that his crosshairs had been on the wrong crusty target this whole time. As Karen the computer wife points out, the thorn in his side had been SpongeBob all along.

Fortunately for the cyclopic microorganism, an opportunity presents itself as Atlantic city’s King Poseidon issues a royal decree imploring the citizens of the deep to surrender sea snails to him. Why? The god of the sea relishes his beauty and uses snail juice to keep his skin wrinkle-free (pretty revolting if you ask us).

Thus, Plankton dons the Green Goblin costume and cackles maniacally in Willem Dafoe’s voice as he declares his first step: “FIRST, WE ATTACK HIS HEART!”.

Okay. We’re just goofing about that last bit. But yeah, lil’ Dr. evil sends the pink snail away to Atlantic City, which tears the owner apart as soon as he finds out about Gary’s disappearance. Desperate, SpongeBob and his trusty amigo, Patrick, take a road trip in search of their missing mollusc friend. Can they succeed in their quest to save Gary?

Having been exposed to the late Stephen Hillenburg’s creations for over two decades and the whimsical quirks of these marine characters, a wacky escapade from Nickelodeon’s latest was a given. And it does achieve that. The movie stays true to the zany craze and antics of the Krabby gang. From the delicate handling of a Krabby Patty to the rare philosophical musing from Patrick Star, the franchise’s long-running trademarks are on full display here.

And oh, does it feature a couple of celebrity cameos.

This movie celebrates the Keanussance we are in as Mr. John Wick himself gets featured as a wise sage. No, not just a sage. To paraphrase his character in the film, he’s called Sage, made out of sage, and is a sage, so it works out pretty well. With radiant aura, the wise figure randomly rolls into the frame on multiple instances to provide profound advice to the duo on their journey to Atlantic City.

Snoop Dogg and Danny Trejo also show up midway during a scene in a zombie-filled diner, providing the most absurd live-action oddities SpongeBob and Patrick have to handle. Rounding up the voice cast are Awkwafina (“Crazy Rich Asians”) as Otto, a robot built by Sandy intent on taking charge of all life, and Matt Berry (“What We Do In The Shadows”) as King Poseidon, the aforementioned king of Atlantic City.

“Sponge On The Run” treads both new and old ground by utilising CG animation in place of its 2D staple. The only difference is that it does this for the entire film unlike “Sponge Out of Water” which only dedicated the third act to such a style. Seeing Bikini Bottom and the characters in 3D can be a little jarring at times especially when it comes to certain textures like Sandy’s frizzled fur. Nevertheless, it does make everything else such as the cloud blossoms and the neon lights of Atlantic City more vibrant.

As much as this movie seems to provide everything longtime fans are familiar with, it doesn’t quite excel when it comes to creating a truly memorable experience. So, what made it drown in the Goo Lagoon?

First up, we found that it kind of riffs on the 2004 film, bringing back similar plot elements and replicating the formula of the feature. In the stead of King Neptune’s crown, Gary is the missing piece of the puzzle. The Greek deity of the seas is used here in place of Jeffrey Tambor’s squeaky-scalped King Neptune, of which both royal figures have physical insecurities. Reeve’s Sage comes across as an amalgamation of Mindy and David Hasselhoff.

You see, much has been borrowed and while the concept still works, the narrative didn’t gel quite as well as we hoped it would be. The SpongeBob franchise hinges on its slapstick oddities and random ideas, but it’s one that’s usually organised as displayed in the 2004 film. The hero’s journey from beginning to end was clearly shown, from SpongeBob’s initial downer moments at Goofy Goober’s to his Steve Vai wizardry at the climax.

Nevertheless, the pacing here was a mess, flitting back and forth within its various subplots and treating almost all of its character moments as a joke – which traditionally would be fitting but doesn’t feel that way because of how the third act unfolds.

By the climax, there are a series of flashbacks which attempt to tell of how the gang got together. However, for those of us in the know, it basically was an advertisement for Nickelodeon’s upcoming spin-off series, “Kamp Koral”, which feature SpongeBob, Patrick, Squidward, and Sandy as their adorable younger selves. The moments were undoubtedly cute, but the heartfelt message did feel downplayed due to the lack of prior attention given to SpongeBob’s journey. The overarching message of the film might have gotten lost due to questionable narrative decisions but again, could very well be a quick lesson for the young ones if they are paying attention.

As far as comedy goes, it doesn’t quite reach the heights of SpongeBob back in his heyday but is generally alright. Many jests don’t land quite as well as they intended to be, but there are moments that do make you scratch your head in complete bewilderment due to how delightfully ridiculous they can be.

“Sponge On The Run” is definitely the weakest of the three SpongeBob features in several ways. It gets chaotic and gaudy with its pacing and character development. It doesn’t take too many chances and plays it safe whilst tangling its entire narrative. If you’re expecting some iconic comedic moments to be quoted in the future, this movie doesn’t provide that. There’s no “Goofy Goober Rock” or food fight. None of that.

Ehhh… we’re gonna cut it some slack and say that it’s a serviceable flick for the family (and also because it’s SpongeBob: agent of chaos). The movie absolutely relishes in the updated animated format and of course, gets giddy with its fun cameos. What can we say, Keanu Reeves as a sage? We see that as an absolute win.

Aight, we guess we’ll just be going from here and to thank you for reading up till the end, we’ll bless you guys with this glorious image of our sage and savant, Keanu Reeves.

Have you watched “Sponge On The Run”? Did you think that it was a sweet sweet victory? Leave your thoughts in the comments!

“The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge On The Run” is currently streaming on Netflix.

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Jason Momoa On His Crazy Audition For Batman Before Getting Aquaman

Fate has a funny way of working things out. Before Jason Momoa made his DC Extended Universe debut as Aquaman, he auditioned for another famous superhero.

During his recent interview with Jake Hamilton, the 39-year-old actor opened up that he first tried out to play the role of Batman in “Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice“. Things didn’t pan out the way he wanted but it paved the way for him to portray Aquaman.

“Yeah I kind of visualised, because it was a generic kind of just general scene from the Christian Bale movie ‘The Dark Knight’ and I just, it was a big casting call so I knew a lot of people were going to be doing it and I just felt like it was a booby trap and I just didn’t want to do it,” the American hunk recalled.

He continued, “So, we did it and I just pretended like Batman got killed in an alleyway and I picked it up and tried to play him like I was just down and out, poor, over it, just done wrong and he wasn’t afraid to punch even good people in the face. And just go like unforgivable about certain things but also like flawed, like the kind of person who would jump off a cliff and figure out on the way down what we’re going to do.”

“So, they liked that and then I got called in about probably 2 to 3 weeks later and that’s when Zack laid it down and said ‘I want you to play Aquaman’, which was completely like ‘Excuse me?’” Momoa told the interviewer.

Besides auditioning for Aquaman, Screen Rant reported that the “Justice League” star also was in the running to play Drax the Destroyer in “Guardians of the Galaxy”. The role eventually went to Dave Bautista. He also previously met up with “Avengers: Infinity War” directors Joe and Anthony Russo for an unknown Marvel villain role.

We reckon things worked out well for him since Momoa truly embodies Aquaman with his edginess and personality that makes the character both threatening and charming. After patiently waiting, fans will finally get to see the DC hero take his place as the rightful King of Atlantis.

In a separate interview with WSVN-TV, the actor revealed the original ending for “Justice League” that was supposed to lay the ground work for “Aquaman”. “In Zack’s cut, we had it where I was with Vulko and Mera and I say that I have to go home, and they say ‘There’s a force coming,’ and that I need to help. And I’m like ‘I’m going home to see my dad,’ and so I get in the back of a pickup truck, pound a bottle of something, and off he goes, the wanderer, you know what I mean?” he said.

“So that was kind of like the end of Justice League where I was going — and then we cut to me coming home and run into a submarine and bang oh! Then go see pops and I think he’s just going to get rooted again. I think he’s been gone for so long it’s just him trying to kind of come back to his roots,” Momoa shared.

“Aquaman” swims into theatres this month.


Contest: Win A Deluxe Edition Copy Of Maroon 5’s #V Album

Maroon 5 fans, we’ve got some fantastic news for you!

(Featured image via Maroon 5 on Facebook)

As Arianators are aware, we’re giving away 5 copies of Ariana Grande’s #MyEverything album in celebration of hitting 20k likes on our Facebook page. Now, joining in the celebration of hitting 20k, we will also be giving away 5 copies of Maroon 5 brand new album, V. Oh and to make things even more exciting, these 5 copies of Maroon 5’s V album that we are giving away are deluxe edition albums that include free button badges for you fans!

Featuring hit singles such as “Maps” and “Animals”, the album features a collaboration with No Doubt’s Gwen Stefani on the ballad “My Heart Is Open”. Debuting as Number #1 on the Billboard 200 chart, V makes for the band’s second number 1 album.

These Deluxe Edition albums (with the free button badges pack) are available exclusively at Rock Corner outlets – The Curve, 1 Utama, The Gardens, Mid Valley, Subang Parade, Suria KLCC, and Bangsar Village.

Now, with thanks to our awesome friends from Universal Music Malaysia you can win yourself a copy of this number #1 album! All you have to do is answer the following questions:

E-mail your answers with your details (Name, IC, Contact number) to submit@hype.my and if you’re the winner, we’ll contact you via e-mail after the submissions have closed.

For more information, visit Maroon 5′s official website.

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#Malaysia: Footballer Faiz Subri Becomes First Asian To Win FIFA’s Puskas Award

29-year-old Mohd Faiz Subri has made Malaysia proud!

The Malaysian footballer, whose glorious physics-defying goal which left spectators picking their jaws off the floor at the Penang vs. Pahang Super League match, placed him in the running to win FIFA’s 2016 Puskás Award, made international headlines today (Tuesday, 10th January).

In November 2016, it was announced that he was one of 10 shortlisted from thousands of goals scored between 30th September 2015 – 30th September 2016, the first Malaysian and Asian to make it to the list. He just made history again when he became the winner of the prestigious award after garnering nearly 60% of the votes ahead of Brazil’s Marlone (22.86%) and Venezuela’s Daniuska Rodriguez (10.01%).

The FIFA Puskás Award, named after legendary Real Madrid striker Ferenc Puskás, was established in October 2009. It acknowledges the “most beautiful” goal of the year, with the likes of Zlatan Ibrahmovic (2013), Neymar (2011), and Cristiano Ronaldo (2009) among the award’s previous winners.

Upon receiving the award from Brazilian legend Ronald, Faiz said, “This is the best moment of my life. I never imagined that I would ever win this award. My first thought was to ring my family because without them I would not be a professional footballer. This is an award not just for me and my club but for the whole of Malaysia. When I went up on the stage to collect it, I honestly didn’t know what to say. I couldn’t believe that I was in the same company as some of the true greats of football.”

The footballer also posted up his acceptance speech on his Twitter account, joking that he was so nervous but lucky that he was able to find it on his cellphone and went on to thank everyone for their support.

I'm so nervous,lucky I can find this on my cellphone…Thank You everyoneMalaysia Boleh and Haria Penang Haria pic.twitter.com/SYPIghw9gk

— faizsubri13 (@faizsubri131) January 9, 2017

Faiz Subri received the accolade during the FIFA Football Awards 2016 in Zurich on Monday. Congratulations, Faiz! All of us back home are so immensely proud of you. Malaysia boleh.

Watch his amazing, now award-winning free-kick below:

Mohd Faiz Subri has won the Puskás award for the best goal of 2016 pic.twitter.com/bjbJleLgWP

— Live Signings (@Livesignings) January 9, 2017

Want to send him your love and support too? Tweet him via his handle, @faizsubri131.

Sources: FIFA, Faiz Subri, FourthOfficial, ESPN FC / Featured image: ESPN FC.


#007: Daniel Craig “Done” With Playing James Bond; Tom Hiddleston To Take On Role?

Now that Daniel Craig has made known that he’s “done” playing James Bond, the fictional British superspy, British bookmakers made actor Tom Hiddleston the favourite to take on the role.

Daniel Craig, who has played Bond in 4 films since 2005, had turned down an offer of £68 million for 2 more. He is reported to have been paid a total of £38million for the films in the franchise he has starred in – “Spectre“, “Skyfall”, “Quantum of Solace”, and “Casino Royale”.

The 48-year-old actor was contracted to do a 5th film but last year said he would rather slash his wrists than play 007 again.

“If I did another Bond movie, it would only be for the money.”

The Daily Mail, citing an anonymous LA film source, said Daniel Craig had told executives at MGM Studios that last year’s movie Spectre was his last outing as 007.

“Daniel is done, pure and simple, he told top brass at MGM after Spectre. They threw huge amounts of money at him, but it just wasn’t what he wanted,” the source said.

Bookmakers William Hill and Ladbrokes both had 35-year-old Tom Hiddleston, who appeared in “Thor” and recently starred in BBC spy drama “The Night Manager” which is now showing in the US, as the most likely new Bond.

“We have seen Damian Lewis, Idris Elba and Tom Hardy all occupy the top of the betting at various stages of the last 12 months but it would seem that Tom Hiddleston is in pole position at the right time,” a spokesman said.

On top of that, Tom has been very vocal about his interest in playing the secret service agent.

He previously told Britain’s The Sunday Times that he’s a huge fan of the Bond franchise. “I simply love the theme tune, the tropes and the mythology. I love the whole thing. If it ever came knocking, it would be an extraordinary opportunity. And I’m very aware of the physicality of the job. I would not take it lightly,” he said.

Not convinced? How about this: Earlier this week, Tom was reportedly spotted meeting with Bond movie director Sam Mendes and producer Barbara Broccoli. Now, what else could they be meeting for if Tom wasn’t a frontrunner for the job?

Meanwhile, other actors that are currently fan favourites to play the next James Bond are:

MGM has yet to comment on the above news. But keep checking back with us for updates ;)

Sources: AFP, The Telegraph, Time Out / Featured image: wallpapersdsc.net.

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How Ezra Miller’s “The Flash” Changes DC Universe Reboot, Future Films & TV Shows

Called it! A while ago, we proposed that Ezra Miller’s “The Flash” film could be used to slightly alter the DC Universe (DCU) to make some necessary changes. Though at the time, we believed that the film would be used to resolve Warner Bros’ issue with multiple Batmans running about. However, the film now seems to have a far more monumental task. That’s right, we’re getting a “Flashpoint” style event with Barry Allen changing the very history and nature of the DCU for James Gunn and Peter Safran’s brand-new reboot universe. Now obviously, the news of Ezra Miller now playing an integral part in the DCU, while Henry Cavill’s Superman has been taken off the stage, has some folks feeling a little salty.

Still, we’d be lying if we said we weren’t curious to see how Warner Bros Discovery plans on tying “The Flash” and other film projects still under old management with Gunn and Safran’s new slate of films and TV shows. For those not in the know about DC news, we’re here to fill in the gaps and explain why you need to watch this year’s “The Flash” film in preparation for the new DCU to come!

Those who are familiar with DC’s “Flashpoint” comic series or have seen Warner Bros. Animation’s “Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox” will no doubt be familiar with the plot of the film. The upcoming film will be based heavily on the comic event with Barry Allen travelling back in time to save his mother Nora Allen, played by Maribel Verdú, from death. In some versions, she’s killed by some random mugger and in others, it’s highly implied that the time-travelling psychopathic speedster Eobard Thawne, the Reverse Flash, killed her. In any case, we know that Barry’s father, Henry Allen played by Ron Livingston, was framed for her murder and is stuck in prison in the current timeline.

While the plot of the film has yet to be fully revealed, we’ve got a ton of information with regard to who will be appearing in the film. Ben Affleck will be reprising his role as Batman with Michael Keaton playing an alternate version of the character. In the “Flashpoint” story arc, Barry works with an older, more violent Batman in the timeline he’s changed to save his mother. In this twisted reality, Thomas Wayne was the one who survived and Bruce was the one who died. Martha became the Joker. While the dynamic between Barry and an alternate version of Batman working together seems to be kept in the film, it has been confirmed that Michael Keaton will be playing Bruce Wayne, and not Thomas Wayne.

The film’s cast includes the return of some familiar faces such as Michael Shannon as General Zod and Antje Traue as Faora-Ul from 2013’s “Man of Steel”, and Temuera Morrison as Thomas Curry, Aquaman’s Father. Officially debuting in the DCU is Kiersey Clemons as Flash’s love interest, Iris West, and Sasha Calle as Supergirl.

The ending of the “Flashpoint” storyline, which has heavily influenced this film, sees Barry racing back in time to prevent the mistakes he’s made and to return reality back to the way it was. His efforts mostly work but now the DC characters we know have been altered and a new status quo is established due to ripples in the timeline. So what will this new status quo look like? Will this reboot change everything? Well, apparently not, seeing that Gunn has clarified on social media that “The Flash” won’t be changing everything and that some old faces from the DCU will in fact be staying around.

Here are just a few of our plans. Up, up, and away! #DCStudios #DCU @DCComics pic.twitter.com/8XNDNLUEPq

— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) January 31, 2023

As of now, Viola Davis’ Amanda Waller is confirmed to be appearing in the rebooted DCU, and will also be given her own TV show. Gunn has also confirmed in a recent press release that Xolo Maridueña’s Blue Beetle will exist in the new DCU and that “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom”, which takes place after “The Flash” will lead into his next big project “Superman: Legacy”. Oh and “Shazam! Fury of the Gods” will take place before “The Flash” so there’s no interference there. Whether or not Zachary Levi will continue on as Shazam in the new DCU to come has yet to be confirmed.

Co-CEO of DC Studios Peter Safran can confirm that Momoa will be appearing in the rebooted DCU once more but has yet to confirm whether he’ll be staying as Aquaman or if he’ll be switching over to the space bounty hunter, Lobo. Based on the fact that Momoa is still playing Aquaman in a film that is set after the “Flashpoint” event and is leading up to the first new major canonical film in Gunn and Safran’s DCU, we’re fairly confident he’s still King of Atlantis.

Alright, now that you’ve got all the nitty, gritty details out of the way, we can get into what this new DCU will look like in its first phase entitled “Gods and Monsters”! In his announcement video, we heard that we would be getting an animated TV series called “Creature Commandos” which is part of DCU canon. They’re basically popular monsters from fiction that form a superhero team. On top of the “Waller” series, we’re also getting a live-action sci-fi detective Green Lantern series called “Lanterns”, a fantasy epic series based on Wonder Woman’s homeland of Themyscira known as “Paradise Lost” and a comedy superhero series about a con man turned hero called “Booster Gold”.

Springboarding off “The Flash” and “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom”, we’re getting “Superman: Legacy” which will see a younger version of the Kryptonian take centre stage. This one’s helmed by Gunn himself. He won’t be the only survivor of Krypton though because we’re also getting a “Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow” film. This film will explore a more jaded and cynical Supergirl who lived through the loss of her homeworld, unlike Kal-El. The two of them will probably bump into each other at some point. At long last, we’re finally getting the dynamic duo proper on-screen with Batman and his son Damian Wayne as Robin in “The Brave and the Bold”. Robert Pattinson’s Batman will not be part of the main continuity and Matt Reeves’ universe will remain an Elseworld in the multiverse. Horror fans rejoice because Alan Moore’s Swamp Thing will be getting a live-action film in the DCU as well!

So far, we can see how Superman, Supergirl, Batman, Robin, and the Green Lanterns John Stewart and Hal Jordan could eventually fit in an ensemble film like “Justice League” or “The Avengers”. While characters like Booster Gold, Blue Beetle, the Creature Commandos and Swamp Thing probably won’t rub shoulders with some of the DCU’s more mainstream characters too soon, rest assured that they’re still very much a part of the DCU canon. They’re just off on their own solo adventures like Moon Knight or Shang Chi. “Paradise Lost” could eventually set up Wonder Woman’s appearance in the DCU while exploring the more magical side of things. The only piece of the puzzle we can’t seem to fit in the DCU is the upcoming “The Authority” film.

In the past, DC Comics had two different imprints called Vertigo and Wildstorm. Vertigo Comics, or DC Vertigo, served as a more adult-orientated side of the company that told darker, more mature stories. Characters like John Constantine, Swamp Thing, V from “V for Vendetta”, and the Watchmen are from that imprint. Recently though, many of the characters and properties have been folded into the mainstream DC universe in the comics.

The Wildstorm imprint though is a whole different universe as far as we’re concerned. They’ve got their own unique characters with powers that have little to no connection to DC’s mainstream stories. The Authority in the Wildstorm imprint is basically the Justice League of their own universe. And while DC comics have recently tried to fold in characters like Midnighter, the Grifter and Apollo into the main universe, we don’t see how Gunn and Safran’s DCU can accommodate a whole other team of god-like superheroes and anti-heroes into this one. Especially, if they’re planning on eventually setting up a Justice League film in the future.

Gunn in his announcement has made it clear that the Authority will be “interacting with all our primary DCU characters”. Don’t get us wrong, we think having a film centred around morally grey versions of the Justice League is a great idea! We’re just worried that they might be treated as the B-team, like the way the Eternals were in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Maybe Gunn plans to have the two teams duke it out a’la “Captain America: Civil War” sometime in the future. For now, we remain cautiously optimistic that Gunn and Safran will do justice to the property.

So what do you think of “The Flash” acting as a reboot event to the DCU? Which new DCU property are you most excited about? Be sure to let us know and stay tuned for more DCU news!

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#Malaysia: Police Warns Young Girls & Parents Of Online “Sexual Groomers”

There are many unthinkable ways to harm children online these days. If you think that social media is safe for your child, well, you may have to reconsider.

According to the police, they have set up a special Child Cyber Sexual Investigation unit to track down online sex predators who use social media to prey on young girls. The police have labeled these types of cyber crime as “cyber sexual groomers”.

Child grooming is the act of befriending and establishing an emotional connection with a child, and sometimes the family, to lower the child’s insecurity for child sexual abuse.

The groomers would befriend young innocent girls on social media platforms in order to “lure” them into removing their clothes and performing various sexual acts such as masturbation. According to Bukit Aman’s Sexual, Women and Child Investigation Division (D11) assistant principal director Asst Comm Ong Chin Lan, the most commonly used social media websites are Facebook, Kik Messenger, ooVoo, and Omegle.

“The cyber groomers will initiate the lewd act by masturbating and exposing their private parts to the girls. It’s a case of show me yours and I’ll show you mine,” Ong said. The groomers will then record the whole process and use it to threaten the victims if they refuse to obey their requests.

Besides that, an American cyber groomer was arrested and charged in a US court after being found in possession of hundreds of child pornographic material. Among his collection, was a Malaysian.

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said that foreigners from the US and Britain have been targeting young Malaysian girls and he describes it as an “extension of paedophilia”.

“We know what’s going on and are taking the necessary steps to contain it. We managed to detect several cases over the past few months, but the crime keeps escalating,” Khalid told reporters after closing a course for senior women police officers at the Police Academy in Cheras yesterday (18th May).

In the words of Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Rohani Abdul Karim, “At times, parents feel safer with their children staying home and surfing the Internet. But this may not be the case.”


#Uber: Ride-Sharing Service Now Available In Malacca

Rejoice Malacca folks! Uber has now expanded its services your region.

From today (Thursday, 27th October) onwards, those living in the historic city of Malacca can now opt for an Uber ride to travel around the city.

“Whether it’s getting to class on time, skipping the parking when doing your Sunday shopping at Malacca Raya or to and from Malacca Sentral, Uber is here for you,” reads the statement by Uber.

To celebrate Uber’s official launch in Malacca, the ride hailing service will be throwing in a Mamee Monster special for their users between this Friday (28th October) to Sunday (30th October).

Those who are lucky enough to hop on their Mamee Mobiles might stand a chance to win some surprise gifts (which might include a Mamee Monster plush toy, exclusive Mamee tee-shirts, Mamee Monster fridge magnets, Mamee Monster folders, Mamee Monster noodle snacks, and Mamee Monster mini mugs). Sounds like fun right?

As for the Uber rates, the base fare starts at 90 sen, followed by 25 sen per minute and 50 sen per kilometre. Payment can be made either via cash or credit card.

To celebrate Uber’s launch in Malacca, Uber users will get to enjoy free rides everyday between 7am – 7pm when key in the promo code LUCKYNUMBER7. The promotion is valid until 6th November.

For more information, visit Uber Malaysia’s official website and Facebook page.

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Counting Stars Earns OneRepublic Its First UK Number One Single

OneRepublic won’t be counting stars as much as they will be counting dollars as their single Counting Stars has got them their first ever UK number one single.

Despite close competition from newcomers The Vamps who were leading in the midweek chart, Ryan Tedder and bandmates jumped up two spots at the last minute making this the closest competition to date for the number one spot.

With OneRepublic at number one, The Vamps comes in at number two while Jason Darulo is at number three followed by Katy Perry at number four.

Watch the video for Counting Stars here:


Malaysians Surprised To See Tun Mahathir’s Signature In “The Crown” Season 4

Social media is abuzz after the signature of Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, made a “cameo” in Netflix’s TV show, “The Crown”.

For those who don’t know, “The Crown” is a historical drama set during the reign of Queen Elizabeth II. The show is also prominent for featuring events that shaped the second half of the 20th century.

A scene from The Crown, season 4 episode 8 where the Head of Commonwealth in 1985 signed a unanimous declaration to sanction the Apartheid regime in South Africa. Itu tangan Margaret Thatcher, about to sign the declaration.

Signature Tun M pun ada! 💪🏼 pic.twitter.com/kp0tb29t0j

As pointed out by Twitter user Endie (@The_Endie), the scene is taken from the eighth episode of the fourth season of the show. Interestingly, apart from Tun M’s, the signature of former Prime Minister of Singapore, Lee Kuan Yew was also spotted in the scene. Endie’s tweet has since gained over 1.2k likes at the time of writing.

Apart from that, many were also completely shocked by the “historically accurate” details of the events shown in the series. Some even expressed their hope for other notable happenings such as ‘The Dawn Raid’ incident and the ‘Buy British Last’ boycott campaign to be featured in the series.

Check out some of their reactions below:

It is awesome #thecrown make historically accurate series. I see former Singapore Prime Minister and Malaysia Prime Minister signature. https://t.co/fJgbdclUpm

— lady syafinaz (@JamainSyafinaz) December 21, 2020

Ada episode Queen mai datang rombongan ke Sukan Komanwel 98 pun ok jugak. Haha pic.twitter.com/B0sfVzDDc8

— Bomoh Sains Komputer (@BomohCompSc) December 21, 2020

“The Crown” is currently streaming on Netflix.

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#KLIA: MAHB Working On A Skybridge To Replace The Aerotrains?

Recent breakdowns have left passengers fed up with the aerotrain glitches, to say the least.

To tackle the issue, Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) is looking to find a longterm plan that includes replacing the aerotrain and its signalling system with a skybridge.

The proposed skybridge is being discussed with Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA)’s handler, MAHB.

“Other than a skybridge, which will have a walkalator, we also have several other proposals as long-term solutions, including replacing the aerotrain. Whatever we put in the airport is considered capital expenditure and these are things that we have to discuss with the government,” Managing Director Badlisham Ghazali told reporters yesterday (Tuesday, 31st May 2016).

In the meantime, more than 24 buses and vans had been stationed at the airport in the event the aerotrains unexpectedly breaks down again. “We are still looking to further improve it, including upgrading the signalling system which we think was the cause of a lot of the recent downtimes,” Badlisham added.

The aerotrain service serves as a link between the Main Terminal Building and the Satellite Building, allowing passengers to catch their flights or exit the airport.

Last Friday (27th May 2016), chaos erupted when hundreds of travellers at KLIA were left stranded after 2 aerotrains broke down unexpectedly. At that time, MAHB said that the aerotains were undergoing corrective maintenance and directed passengers to the bussing services. The aerotains resumed operations the next day (Saturday, 28th May 2016).

A similar breakdown took place last December.

Sources: Free Malaysia Today, The News Straits Times.


#TayTay: Spotted Out With DJ/Producer Calvin Harris, Sparking Dating Rumours

Once again, our worlds have collided. As they say, a picture speaks a thousand words and if the rumours are true, then Taylor Swift aka TayTay could be seeing someone new ;)

The 25-year-old singer was spotted out with singer/music producer Calvin Harris in Nashville on Wednesday (25th March), and while the 2 didn’t display any PDA, they were dressed almost exactly alike. Sparking rumours of a romance. Hmm.

If the romance rumours are true, TayTay wouldn’t be the first pop star to have dated Calvin, or even the first blonde one. The 31-year-old musician (who looks mighty good shirtless by the way) has been romantically connected to both Rita Ora and Ellie Goulding in the past.

That being said, he’s also a well-known music producer, DJ and singer/songwriter, so this little outing could be work related. After all, he was responsible for Rihanna’s hit “We Found Love” and has also worked with Kylie Minogue, Cheryl Cole, and of course, his ex-girlfriend Rita Ora.

As for Tay Tay, she’s been taking a break from men after numerous rumored romances with fellow celebrities. The most notable being pop boy band One Direction‘s Harry Styles. This, however, doesn’t stop the relationship speculation. Prior to being spotted out with Calvin, the “Blank Space” singer was reported to be seeing Matt Healy. He later addressed the rumors, saying, “It’s bloody fake, it’s all fake, it’s all a farce.”

Taylor was spotted with Calvin Harris in Nashville today! This is just a coincidence or they wore same t shirt? pic.twitter.com/dQ08eRTZVI

— Taylor Swift (@SwiftInstinct) March 26, 2015

Our take? We certainly don’t mind this pop plus dance music “collaboration”, if you know what we mean ;)

Apparently, TayTay and Calvin Harris attended Kenny Chesney’s concert in Nashville together. According TMZ, citing the people “around them”, she was sitting on his lap for a long time and an eyewitness even said that they kissed.

So, if pictures simply didn’t do the previous rumour any justice, here’s the TMZ video of TayTay and Calvin Harris walking hand-in-hand after the concert:

Make no mistake, it is them. And yes, they’ve definitely hooked up ;)

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Oh No! Gossip Girl Is Coming To An End!

For the past month, news has been reporting that the popular CW Network series “Gossip Girl” is finally coming to an end. The show’s upcoming sixth season will be its last.

Nevermind trying to guess who’s going to end up with who in its dramatic final curtain call, or if the story will be left hanging – fans of the Upper East Side characters will finally have to say goodbye. After all, the Gossip Girl kids aren’t exactly kids anymore, having graduated from high school, pursuing their so-called careers, and all that jazz.

Prior to CW Network’s official announcement to Gossip Girl closing shop after its upcoming sixth season, Chace Crawford aka the handsome Nate Archibald expressed that he has already started making plans to move to Lose Angeles. Well, someone’s clearly excited about moving on!

Chace also cheekily said, “If it was up to me, Gossip Girl will end with a bang. Like the end of Die Hard. Just walking away from an exploding helicopter.”

Uh, sure, Chase. Pass us the C4 and we’ll see to it that it happens.

Anticipating the sad day when the series wraps its final episode, “Queen Bee” Leighton Meester aka Blair Waldorf said, “It’s bittersweet. That’s the perfect word for it. The cast and crew have become like family but at the same time, it’s great to move on and do something different. Playing the character for six years is great, but it’s exciting to do other things and also just sleeping and spending time with my family.”

When asked about her future plans, Leighton revealed that she will continue pursuing her music career with plans to release some new tunes in the next two months via free digital downloads. Hmm. We sense an album coming our way soon!

Now, the question is, will there be or not be a Gossip Girl movie in the works?

For more information, visit the official Gossip Girl blog. Yes, it exists!


Rare Trading Card Now Has US$2 Million Bounty & People Worldwide Are Hunting For It!

Ah, hobbies – the double-edged sword that brings us joy and leaves us financially in debt minutes after receiving our salary. Each person has a niche that makes them tick; it can be shoes, figurines, knives, or even cars. Hobbies are essentially the weakness of every wannabe Marie Kondo, as each piece of their collection sparks joy, making them virtually impossible to let go.

However, one of the more expensive toy-based hobbies is none other than trading cards. From baseball stars to Pokemon, these coloured cardboard rectangles have commanded the market with their rarity and become an alternative source of income when times are tough. As the name suggests, these cards have been traded and bought for nothing more than spare change, to up to millions of dollars. However, there is one card that seeks to become the one to rule over all other cards and will be the prized possession of any lucky collector or a simple hobbyist’s biggest break.

Like anything of value, trading card prices rise and fall with the times, skyrocketing in times of demand and plummeting when no one wants them. And when something is overproduced and deemed a common item, it remains in a purgatory-like state where it will never rise to ludicrous amounts, but will remain by the wayside.

Knowing this, some manufacturers limit the number of items they will ever make so that said item will maintain its expensive price point, announcing it to the world so that everyone will know how rare and valuable it is. This is what we call “serialisation,” where these goods are marked so that people will know how many there are left and what number they have.

We are officially announcing our $1 million bounty on the 1/1 The One Ring Card 💰💰

— Dave & Adam's (@dacardworld) June 7, 2023

Because of this incredible value, there’s an unspoken rule that a company should never make a one-of-one serialised item. But alas, here we are, as Magic: The Gathering created that one-of-a-kind item that the community is now chasing after. With their recent crossover with J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings series, Magic: The Gathering announced that there will be a special, serialised version of the One Ring, dubbing it the “One of One Ring.”

Almost immediately after this announcement was made, a bounty was released for the card by a collectors company called Dave and Adam’s for US$1 million! You read that right – and with that one post, in a bid to attain that ONE card, people have begun preordering ALL versions of the cards by the boxload, in hopes of landing it.

This bounty caused the entire value of the set to explode, but someone from Spain decided to up the ante. A Spanish gaming store, Gremio de Dragones, says it’s offering €2 million for the card, which translates to about US$2.1 million. Additionally, the shop is even offering to fly whoever finds the card to Valencia, the town where the store resides, and pay for their accommodations – something the last bounty didn’t offer. Some are even trying to get in contact with Post Malone, a longtime and famous MTG player, to see if he’s interested in purchasing the card.

Of course, with all these prices, many voiced their scepticism, and rightly so, as it seemed a little too good to be true. Many people pointed out that Dave and Adam’s bounty has a set timeframe before it expires, which is Monday, 17th July, and a link to their website where you can buy a box set of the cards. Though Gremio de Dragones didn’t give a deadline, people are still not quick to trust, nor is the Spanish hobby store, as there are multiple counterfeits that have already started to pop up.

That's so odd that the ring was already found because just last night I got an email with an exactly 1 second long video "proof" that someone else had cracked the 1/1 ring and they would very much like me to help them get in touch with Post Malone. 🙄 https://t.co/6zaOlivo3o pic.twitter.com/8oH829T1lu

— Tolarian Community College (@TolarianCollege) June 17, 2023

Tolarian Community College, a recognisable face in the entire MTG community, has been receiving multiple entries stating that they have the One of One Ring. However, a sweeping majority of people claim this to be a fake or imitation, as the official release date for the special card will be on Friday, 23rd June. But, even then, no one knows how to validate the card as there is no other card to compare it to, making the hunt a little more difficult and perhaps expensive for those who wish to pursue it, but the search for the card continues.

As a reminder, cards are like money – a piece of paper that only has value because we agree that it does. They are not food, nor can they provide shelter or other things in Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, and they shouldn’t be treated as such. If you deem it valuable, you are welcome to pursue it, but like a gambler, you should know if you should continue or if it is high time to stop and call it quits.

Sources: Wikimedia Commons, Gremio de Dragones

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Hype’s Now Playing: Rihanna – Sledgehammer (“Star Trek Beyond” OST)

The singer’s new single “Sledgehammer” for the upcoming “Star Trek Beyond” soundtrack made history by becoming the 1st music video to be entirely shot using IMAX cameras. And now we get to watch it in all its HD glory.

Directed by Italian-Canadian Floria Sigismondi and penned by Sia, the otherworldly visual drops Rihanna in a deserted rocky vista. There, she plays a beautiful mystified alien in a red draped garment with cosmic face paint and an eccentric hairstyle to match.

The aesthetic visuals are stunning and celestial, as we see Riri swaying around while lifting matter and boulders with her mind and spirit. She’s basically an all powerful alien who controls the landscape through telekinesis while singing, “You’re just another brick and I’m a sledgehammer”.

By the end of the clip, the 28-year-old beauty becomes multiplied and turns into some sort of celestial god when she is merged with the galaxy. The Starship Enterprise also makes a brief appearance, before flying off into a shimmering Rihanna-shaped constellation.

For Rihanna, this wasn’t just an ordinary soundtrack collaboration. A self-professed Trekkie, the pop star opened up about her lifelong fascination for the “Star Trek” franchise.

“Star Trek has been a part of my life since I was a little girl. My dad really is the one who introduced me to Star Trek. It just took me 1 episode to fall in love with this other world that I couldn’t understand, but I felt like I could relate to. I was always very curious about the characters and the story lines,” she shared.

“You always felt emotionally connected to the characters and whatever they were going through. This is something that’s been a part of me since my childhood and it’s never left me so it wasn’t like just doing a song for any random film. I love Star Trek. It was automatic,” the singer added.

“The song is about breaking down barriers,” Sigismondi explained. “Being for Star Trek, it’s all about exploration, exploration of the unknown . . . The idea of transcendence, transcending through these barriers, transcending through the blocks that we put on ourselves, and being sort of larger than life. For me, [Rihanna’s character] is kind of like this ancient alien living on this otherworldly planet, and she’s this mystical being that harnesses the power to manipulate the elements.”

The director also shared about working closely with the makeup artist to create the perfect look for Rihanna. “We wanted to really give her her own character. It’s about creating something ancient, almost otherworldly. When you look at her movements, they’re just so unique and so beautiful. We wanted her to embody energy, in the way she moved. She’s just got those beautiful hands; creating all this great movement with her hands was amazing to watch. She is an abundance of energy, actually; she really gives it to you—it’s amazing,” she said.

Without further ado, we invite you to travel through space to Planet Riri with the music video for “Sledgehammer” below:

“Star Trek Beyond” will be released in theatres on 21st July 2016.

Sources: Billboard, Vanity Fair, Rap-Up.


#IOI: YMC Entertainment To Debut K-Pop Idol Group’s First Sub-Unit

I.O.I (아이오아이) fans, your favourite girl group will be debuting their first sub-unit!

According to Soompi, YMC Entertainment revealed that the yet-to-be named unit will consist of 7 members including Kim Do Yeon, Kim So Hye, Kim Chung Ha, Im Na Young, Jeon So Mi, Choi Yoo Jung, and Chinese member Pinky.

In their statement, they said, “I.O.I has finished their first album promotions with their performance at the Dream Concert on 4th June. We are preparing for their 2nd promotions through a unit group”.

Apparently, the other 4 members who are not selected to be in the sub-unit has returned to their respective agencies and will promote as members of other groups. Jung Chaeyeon will continue her activities with DIA; Kim Sejeong and Kang Mina will be debut in a new group under Jellyfish Entertainment; while Yoo Yeonjung will receive more training in areas besides singing.

Is it just us, or something fishy is going on?

I.O.I debuted recently through Mnet’s “PRODUCE 101” (프로듀스 101), a large scale girl group survival program, in May 2016. After winning program, the girls obtained a 1-year contract.

It’s funny how YMC allow the girls to debut/promote in other agencies after 1 album. Their first mini-album, titled “Dream Girls”, gained mostly positive reviews and was ranked #1 in most music charts in the first week of its release.

Though we are no K-Pop experts, we have not seen one artiste in 2 different companies before. Could the sub-unit be a cover for “contract termination”? Or maybe the girls just weren’t popular enough for the industry?

The group seems promising and if you watch “PRODUCE 101”, you would know how extremely hardworking the girls actually are. Hopefully, we can get some answers before I.O.I debuts their first sub-unit.

Are you excited about the upcoming sub-unit? Do you think that YMC is hiding something? Let us know in the comments below!

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#MH17: Malaysians To Observe A Minute Of Silence

Malaysians, let’s all join hands in unity and show respect for the victims of the downed Malaysia Airlines (MAS) Flight #MH17 tomorrow (22nd August, Friday).

According to Communication and Multimedia Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek, a minute of silence will be observed when the remains of the first 20 victims come home tomorrow. The minute of silence to be observed is expected to be held some 30 minutes after the special plane transporting the remains of the victims taxies down the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) runway tomorrow.

Police personnel would be on hand to manage the traffic flow for the convoy of the remains en-route to the burial grounds in the respective states. The Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mu’adzam Shah would be attending the ceremony at KLIA while the Sultan of Perak Sultan Nazrin Shah is expected to be in Ipoh to receive the remains.

“We hope the people can be ready for the moment of silence expected to be held during that time. An announcement will be made for the nation to stand and observe the one minute of silence,” Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek told a joint press conference on the ceremony to receive the remains of the #MH17 victims yesterday.

The minute of silence is expected to happen between 10:45am and 11:15am.

Traffic is expected to come to a standstill too at the following locations during the moment of silence:

Meanwhile, the Government has also released the names of the 20 Malaysian victims on board #MH17 whose remains will arrive in Kuala Lumpur tomorrow. The announcement was made by Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein at KLIA’s Bunga Raya Complex Thursday after the final rehearsal for the reception ceremony. The names are as follows:

Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai, who was at the joint press conference, said a reception to receive the second set of remains will be held on Sunday, 24th August.

Malaysians, whether you’re at school, at work, at the gym, in the office, or in your vehicles, let’s do this. Let’s finally welcome our fellow Malaysians home with heavy but warm hearts. Because they deserve that much love, dignity, and respect.


What Charlie Puth Did During His 1 Week Stay In Singapore

Singapore Tourism Board (STB) is partnering with Warner Music Singapore and GRAMMY-nominated singer, songwriter and producer Charlie Puth in a creative collaboration to showcase Singapore’s destination offerings, as part of STB’s SingapoReimagine campaign. The international recovery campaign welcomes travellers to realise their passion for travel through fresh and innovative experiences in Singapore.

The collaboration, which will culminate in a video released in October this year, features the multi-platinum artist’s travels around the city. Charlie will reimagine Singapore up-close and personal through his musical lens as he converses and shares his experiences, while exploring the different sights and sounds, from iconic spots to hidden gems.

The partnership, which is Charlie’s first-ever collaboration with a destination, includes a private showcase for invited guests at Singapore’s iconic Raffles Hotel. Places he visited in Singapore include:
📍Raffles Hotel – Long Bar
📍@The Projector
📍Joo Chiat
📍Chin Mee Chin
📍Onlewo
📍Offtrack

“This is my third time in Singapore, and each time there’s something new to learn and discover. But this visit is extra special because I’m using the details of everyday life in this city to tell a story through music. Singapore is full of colours and unique sounds at every turn. That’s what makes it so fascinating, and that’s what inspires me when I make music,” said Charlie Puth, who is back in Singapore after four years to promote his latest album, “CHARLIE”, due 7th October via Atlantic Records.

Discovering all Singapore has to offer, Charlie’s one-week trip included Here Is SG, the latest photo-worthy spot and interactive space at Marina Bay waterfront promenade, as well as Long Bar at Raffles Hotel which is home to the national cocktail Singapore Sling. Charlie also explored lesser-known locations such as The Projector, a historic movie theatre turned independent creative platform; Joo Chiat, with its eclectic mix of offerings including home-grown favourites such as Chin Mee Chin and local brand, Onlewo; and Offtrack, a concept bar for music and culture enthusiasts. Charlie taps on his musicality to interact with the symphony of sounds unique to each location, as he soaks in these unique experiences and shares his personal journeys and thoughts.

Ms Choo Huei Miin, Director, Brand, STB, said: “The sights and sounds of our city is a great match with Charlie’s passion and creativity. We were thrilled that Charlie chose Singapore as the only destination in Asia for his album promo, giving us the opportunity to work with Warner Music to showcase our diverse offerings through his talent. As international travel recovers, such creative collaborations help us reach a global audience and position Singapore as a must-visit destination that offers unlimited possibilities.”

Mr Gerald Ang, Managing Director, Warner Music Singapore, said: “It’s a privilege to have a global superstar like Charlie Puth play such an integral part of STB’s SingapoReimagine campaign. Charlie’s musical talent and boundless creativity come together perfectly to bring the Singapore experience to his fans in an authentic and imaginative way.”

A post shared by VisitSingapore (@visit_singapore)

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#JiYoon: Singer Opens Up About 4Minute’s Disbandment; To Make Solo Debut

Jiyoon (전지윤) has been really busy preparing her solo debut since the disbandment of 4Minute back in June.

In a recent interview, not only did the rapper reveal the names of her comeback tracks, but she also talked about how she felt when her former idol group separated.

“I discussed it with the members for a long time, and we were worried about our own paths. Even till the end we weren’t thinking about disbanding, but as we respected each other’s opinions, we became the way we are now. I felt so sorry to all the fans who were taken aback. The members’ hearts were also in pain,” said the singer.

Jiyoon wrote and produced 2 tracks – “I Do It” (working title) and “Magnet” (working title) – for her comeback, adding that being a part of 4Minute helped shape her music experience.

She explained, “The reason why I can stand on my own right now is because of 4Minute. 4Minute is the skeleton of my experience, and now I have to be the one to stick the meat on the bones”.

25-year-old Jeon Jiyoon debuted with 4Minute in 2009 with their first single, “Hot Issue”, and the group quickly became one of the most popular female idol groups in K-Pop. She left the group in June 2016 to pursue a solo career.

Jiyoon’s first single album, “Day & Night”, is slated for release on 2nd November.

For more information, visit Jiyoon’s Facebook page.


It’s Fuss-free! Here Are 5 Simple Steps On How To Use GrabExpress

Need an on-demand door-to-door delivery service that is fast, convenient and affordable? GrabExpress is your answer.

Ever since Grab rolled out GrabExpress in Malaysia last year, many users have opted to use the delivery service for documents, parcels and gifts – just like how Grab drivers deliver passengers from point A to point B.

It’s encouraging to know that “has grown exponentially in both its pool of delivery-partners as well as the numbers of users of the service”. The ride-hailing service announced that “GrabExpress has seen a 10x increase in deliveries since October last year with more than 50% being return customers”.

In celebration of their success and to encourage more users to use GrabExpress, first time users of the on-demand delivery service will be able to get RM5 OFF x 1 delivery with the promo code, GRABEXPRESS. Do note that the promotion is only limited to the first 1000 redemptions.

Don’t know how it works? Below is the step-by-step guide:

For more information on GrabExpress, please visit: www.grab.com/my/express/.


Anne Hathaway & Kristen Stewart Dress As Guys For Music Video

Anne Hathaway and Kristen Stewart try be one of the guys.

Oscar-winner Anne Hathaway, Twilight‘s Kristen Stewart as well as 21 Jump Street’s Brie Larson put a moustache on and dress as guys in the video for “Just One of the Guys”, an indie-pop single from singer-songwriter Jenny Lewis.

Lewis who is set to release her first solo album in six years, called up her famous friends to be part of her video which features these actresses in their feminine form, barefoot, wearing cream-coloured suits as they play back-up to Lewis. The video also sees them dresses in tracksuits, flat-brimmed hats, wigs and moustaches.

The video which was released on July 15th also sees Hathaway breakdancing while Stewart larks about and Larson pumps her fist while singing her heart out.

The Voyager, Lewis’s first album in six years, is set for US release on July 29th.

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Fun Facts: Get To Know The 11 Main Characters In Black Panther

Now that 2018 has arrived, most of us are already looking forward to February as “Black Panther” will kick off the onslaught of superhero movies for this year.

Although we were briefly introduced to T’Challa in “Captain America: Civil War“, moviegoers will really get to know him better in “Black Panther”. While Black Panther’s solo outing may not necessary be a traditional origin story, it will be our first opportunity to explore the mythical country of Wakanda.

The plot synopsis of “Black Panther” is as follows:

“Marvel Studios’ ‘Black Panther’ follows T’Challa who, after the death of his father, the King of Wakanda, returns home to the isolated, technologically advanced African nation to succeed to the throne and take his rightful place as king. But when a powerful old enemy reappears, T’Challa’s mettle as king—and Black Panther—is tested when he is drawn into a formidable conflict that puts the fate of Wakanda and the entire world at risk. Faced with treachery and danger, the young king must rally his allies and release the full power of Black Panther to defeat his foes and secure the safety of his people and their way of life.”

Not to mention, “Black Panther” is the final chapter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe before we head into the massive “Avengers: Infinity War”. Rumoured to be 135 minutes long, it’s time to prep you up on the major characters that will making their debut on the big screen next month.

1. Black Panther aka T’Challa (played by Chadwick Boseman)

As the new king of Wakanda, T’Challa is struggling to cope with the loss of his father T’Chaka, but is determined to live up to his great legacy. When Wakanda finds herself beset by two enemies intent on the nation’s downfall, Black Panther must use his new suit and heightened strength, speed and senses to defend Wakanda and the rest of the world.

“What makes him different from other superheroes first and foremost is he doesn’t see himself as a superhero,” says director and co-writer Ryan Coogler. “He sees himself as a politician. That’s the first thing on his mind when he wakes up in the morning. ‘How am I going to fulfil my duties as king of this place?’”

The head of the Dora Milaje, an all-female special forces group, Okoya is a fiercely loyal protector of Wakanda who isn’t afraid to question her king, but would defend him with her life. A staunch traditionalist who is as formidable with her spear as she is with her tongue, Okoye finds herself torn between her allegiance to her country and her king when T’Challa begins to challenge ancient Wakandan rules.

“Being the head of the Dora Milaje and losing a monarch in somewhat of a security breach situation is not something that sits well in her soul. The desire to make sure that never happens again is something very intrinsic to who she is,” Danai Gurira tells Entertainment Weekly. “To protect the throne, you are protecting the core institution of the nation, which allows it to thrive. She has a deep passion and connection to her country, to her people, and to the very special nature of who and what they are.”

A Wakandan spy pulled from her mission abroad by her former flame T’Challa, Nakia consistently gets involved in conflict for the good of others, adamant to use her abilities to help those in need. In the wake of King T’Chaka’s death and the rise of Wakanda’s new enemies, Nakia puts her skills of subterfuge and hand-to-hand combat to use in order to fight alongside Black Panther.

“She is a departure from what she was in the comic book. Nakia is a war dog. She is basically an undercover spy for Wakanda. Her job is to go out into the world and report back on what’s going on,” says Lupita Nyong’o.

Shuri is T’Challa’s younger sister and head of the Wakandan Design Group, where she designs and builds futuristic tech such as the Black Panther suit with Vibranium mined from the Great Mound. She is an innovator, intelligent beyond her years, and always ready to give her big brother a hard time.

5. Erik Killmonger/ Erik Stevens (played by Michael B. Jordan)

Erik Stevens was an American black-ops soldier who earned the nickname “Killmonger” while in the field. However, after disappearing off the grid, he has reemerged with a plan that threatens to put Black Panther and all of Wakanda at risk. Using his charisma, considerable skills in combat and his surprising knowledge of Wakandan customs, Erik Killmonger is a dangerous threat to all that T’Challa holds dear.

“Something we felt was important was that Wakanda wasn’t treated monolithically, meaning everybody agreed to do the same thing all the time. Wakanda has a lot of citizens who have a lot of different ideas of Wakanda should be. Killmonger is a voice of a different side of Wakanda,” says executive producer Nate Moore

Armed with the hardened Jabari wood armor and a battle staff, M’Baku is the formidable leader of the Jabari tribe, a group of Wakandans who have shunned the use of vibranium and removed themselves from the mainstream Wakandan life. In the wake of T’Chaka’s death, M’Baku is faced with the choice of challenging T’Challa for the throne, or joining forces with his would-be adversary to defend Wakanda from malevolent outside forces.

“As T’Challa ascends to the throne, he asks W’Kabi to serve as an advisor, trusting his friends knowledge and instincts. They live on the borders of Wakanda and serve as the first line of defense for the country,” adds Moore. As the head of security for the Border Tribe and Black Panther’s best friend, he is fiercely loyal to Wakanda. As such, he is often hostile to outsiders such as Everett K. Ross.

As the former queen, Ramonda is now the mother of the king and one of his vital advisors. “Her goal in the film is to help T’Challa become king of Wakanda in a peaceful transition of power, serving as a de facto advisor to the throne. However, as things get complicated for our hero, she sets aside any political functions and instead operates as a mother whose sole concern is the physical well-being of both of her children,” Moore shares.

With his father, King T’Chaka, dead – T’Challa will need a mentor to guide him in his rulership. This is where Zuri comes in. During his younger days, Zuri was a great Wakandan warrior, but now, he is “somewhat a religious figure or spiritual figure”.

10. Everett Ross (played by Martin Freeman)

A CIA agent and former liaison with the Joint Terrorism Task Force, Everett Ross is reunited with T’Challa when they both find themselves after the same adversary: Ulysses Klaue. A skilled tactician with advanced weapons training, Ross becomes an invaluable ally to the Black Panther.

We last saw Ulysses Klaue getting his arm cut off in “Avengers: Age of Ultron”. The Vibranium poacher, who is another outsider that enters Wakanda, now dons a plastic prosthetic containing Vibranium-mining equipment that makes him dangerous.

“Black Panther” will open in cinemas 15th February 2018.

Sources: Entertainment Weekly (1)(2), Coming Soon.

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Covid-19: 9 Universities Are Now Conducting Classes Online

In light of the worsening Covid-19 outbreak in our country, several higher education institutes in Malaysia have taken necessary measures in ensuring the safety of its academic staffs and enrolling students.

To provide continuous learning and teaching process outside the traditional classroom environment, numerous universities in Malaysia have came out with the initiative to hold their lecture sessions online. Check out the full list here:

Recently, Taylor’s has announced that online classes will be conducted starting 23rd March (Monday) up until 19th April (Sunday). The teaching and learning process will be conducted via their own platform called ReWIND, live streamed lectures on YouTube, as well as the Lightboard Video Technology.

According to Deputy Vice-Chancellor (academic & international) Professor Dr M. Iqbal Saripan, all scheduled classes and activities have been postponed as a result of the increasing outbreak. However, virtual classes will be held starting from today and will last until the whole week via PutraBlast for instance, allowing them to participate in the teaching and learning process direct from their hometown.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (academic & international) Professor Dr Kamila Ghazali said in a statement that all academic staff are strongly encouraged to activate e-learning for teaching and learning process by using SPeCTRUM (UM’s in-house e-learning platform) as well as other online T&L applications, such as Kahoot. No specific duration on how long the students result will undergo virtual classes.

As stated by Acting President/Vice President (Academic and Internationalisation) Prof. Dr. Ho Chin Kuan, all face-to-face classes will be replaced with online learning via its platform MMLS as well as other online modes of learning which are considered suitable by the lecturers starting from today (Monday, 16th March).

It’s recently announced that UiTM Melaka campus will be conducting online classes starting today (Monday, 16th March) as well. Rector Prof. Dr. Abd. Halim Md. Noor stated that all sessions will be held online except in studios, laboratories as well as workshops. Admin affairs will continue as usual.

In the meantime, UiTM Sarawak Rector Prof. Datuk Dr Jamil Hamali spoke to the local news outlet, “All students don’t have to attend classes. They only need to attend online lecture sessions. By doing this, students will feel safe and parents won’t have to worry after this.” In addition, student recruitment session as well as the planned convocation ceremony will be paused for the time being.

As of today (Monday, 16th March), all lecture sessions are conducted online and it will continue until further notice. “It would not be too much of a problem since the university has been making use of using online lecture method to replace traditional classroom learning,” a UNIMAS academic told Berita Harian.

Based on the official notice above, starting from today (Monday, 16th March) until 31st March, all face-to-face lectures sessions will be replaced by online learning learning process via “all possible learning platforms” including Facebook Live, Course Network (CN) as well as other related teaching modes available online.

As of Sunday (15th March), all physical classes are suspended, as confirmed by Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dr. Faisal Rafiq Mahamd Adikan. “The university, with expertise from the Centre for Development of Academic Excellence (CDAE), is implementing a larger-scale shift in teaching and learning to an online approach that minimises social interaction,” Prof. Dr. Faisal wrote on the post.

He further assured everyone by adding, “These changes will certainly raise many questions for educators and students. The dean of each school will communicate directly with all lecturers and students in making this change possible.”

UTHM has announced that they will shut its doors for the time being. This came after reports stated that one of its instructor was tested positive for Covid-19. Word has it that the lecturer took part in the tabligh mass gathering held at Masjid Seri Petaling.

The individual is currently receiving treatment at Hospital Permai, Johor Bahru. In response to that, Vice Chancellor Prof. Dato’ Dr. Wahid Razzaly informed that nearly 3000 affected staffs and students at the Pagoh campus were advised to conduct classes online until further notice.

Sources: NST (1)(2), Berita Harian (1)(2)(3), Lowyat.


#LoveMeRight: EXO To Release Repackaged Album; Tao Will Not Be Featured

SM Entertainment sure knows the way to fans’ hearts because the Korean entertainment powerhouse announced that its top idol boy group, EXO, will be releasing an “EXODUS” repackaged album.

On 28th May (Thursday), the talent agency took to Facebook to announce that EXO is set to release the repackaged album titled, “Love Me Right” on 3rd June.

According to Soompi, the album was made to show the members’ gratitude towards their fans, especially those have supported them since their debut era. Other than the original 10 songs from “EXODUS”, the repackaged album will feature 4 unreleased songs.

However, Tao of EXO-M will not promoting “Love Me Right” together with the rest of the members as he was not involved in the recording of the 4 new songs. Though SM Entertainment has yet to release an official statement regarding Tao’s current status in EXO, various Chinese media outlets reported that he had already terminated his contract with the talent agency.

In fact, it was reported that he’s now overseas to “study abroad and receive treatment” for his injuries.

When “Call Me Baby“, which is the title track of their 2nd studio album, was first released, it achieved an all-kill status, ranking #1 on all major Korean music charts. It continued to sweep first place on music charts in the following weeks and was ranked 95th on the “Billboard 200″ chart.

With such a glorious success, the group is expected to make history with their upcoming singles.

EXO is currently touring around the world for their 2nd solo concert, “EXO Planet #2- The EXO’luXion”. Their next concert will be held in Shanghai from 30th – 31st May.

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#MagnumKL: The Ultimate Indulgence Pleasure Has Officially Arrived

A day without pleasure is a day lost, but all Malaysian pleasure seekers have finally found their answer to the ultimate indulgence. Yes, we’re talking about the official grand opening of Magnum Kuala Lumpur.

You would’ve probably heard rumours about it opening up its doors to Malaysians at Mid Valley Megamall. Well, just last night, 500 pleasure seekers were inline to be among the first to experience the “Make My Magnum” ice cream in Malaysia when the iconic ice cream brands opened its doors to the public. The 4,2000 sq ft pleasure store spans across 2 floors, exuding a contemporary, classy, and artistic interior, with enough room to seat up to 100 at a time.

As you might already know, the Magnum ice cream range is the epitome of premium Belgian chocolate ice creams and Magnum Kuala Lumpur is home to a menu of signature creations brought to life by some of the finest ingredients carefully chosen by its award-winning chefs.

This was, of course, further shared by Magnum’s most delectable Dessert Maestro, Chef Miko Aspiras aka Magnum Kuala Lumpur’s Head Pastry Chef:

It gives me great pleasure to bring to life creations that represent Malaysian’s love for a sweet indulgence today. Indulge yourself in the “Magnum Kaya waffle toast”, a creation specially crafted for only the Malaysians Pleasure Seekers. On op of that, the “Magnum Triple Choc Cookie Skillet”, “Magnum Galaxy”, and “Magnum Trifle” are also the signature creations that are well-loved by pleasure seekers. For the coffee lovers, our coffees are made of the finest coffee beans exclusively blended just for Magnum Kuala Lumpur.

It’s the first Magnum Pleasure Store in the world with 2 infinity bars allowing pleasure seekers to create their personal pleasurable moment called, “Make My Magnum”. At only RM9,90, Pleasure Seekers can customise their ice creams by selecting their preferred naked Magnum ice cream before choosing a plethora of coatings, toppings, and drizzles.

Oh, and fun fact: At the Magnum Kuala Lumpur Infinity Bar, up to 250,000 “Make My Magnum” creations are possible! Be right back, we need to go get ourselves more of those “Make My Magnum” ice creams!

Psst. Here’s an inside scoop for you before we go. Our editor Lainey recently spotted another Magnum outlet opening soon at the new IOI City Mall, Putrajaya. Don’t say we didn’t share ;)

For more information about Magnum Malaysia, please visit their Facebook page.


Perak Excels As The State With The Most Number Of Livestock Pigs In Malaysia

It was recently reported that Perak continues to excel as the state with the most number of livestock pigs in the country.

According to the Selected Agricultural Indicators 2020 by Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM), the state managed to raise a total of 545,258 commercial pigs in the year 2019.

Based on the statistics, Perak leads the line with more than 100,000 difference in the number of livestock pigs over Sarawak – who came in second with 427,037 number of pigs. The list continues with Penang (320,165), Selangor (265,847), Johor (262,178), and Sabah (84,055).

On the other side of the list, Kelantan recorded the lowest number of pigs farmed (84), followed by Negeri Sembilan (629) and Kedah (1,911). However, all three federal territories in Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur, Labuan, Putrajaya) registered no numbers of livestock pigs, along with Terengganu and Perlis.

The statistics have also been shared by Perak-focused Twitter account, “Perak Power”, which congratulated the people of the state for farming the highest number of livestock pigs. They captioned the post, “Congratulations to the People of Perak. We are the No. 1 Pig Breeder in Malaysia.”

Nevertheless, the post received a lot of comments and some hilarious reactions from the netizens questioning other state’s position. Some even took the opportunity to poke fun at other issues, referring to certain groups of people as “pigs”.

Kelantan, are u even trying? https://t.co/q1OKfcjSLx

— terpalingSwifties 💜 (@mrGojes) December 9, 2020

gila babi takde babi kat kl. yang dok naik beskal tapi kayuh tengah tengah jalan lepas tu makan jalan tu apa https://t.co/4uJZvYtOqP

Dulu melaka juara, semenjak yb pengkalan batu diundi, bilangan babi berkurangan. Ye pasal hobi dia tembak babi https://t.co/nazvLZBmPs

— Radhi Ali 🇲🇾 (@radhiozil) December 10, 2020

Speaking of pigs and swines, a wild boar was caught roaming inside Alamanda Shopping Complex recently. Read about it here.

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BMW Crashes Into AEON Bukit Indah; Injures 5 Shoppers

Yikes! A BMW crashed into AEON Bukit Indah Shopping Centre in Johor on Friday (28th July), injuring several shoppers.

The male driver claimed that he wasn’t using his handphone and said that he lost control of his car. Although he pulled the handbrake, the car proceeded to accelerate.

Source: Wow 够够力’s Facebook pageAt around 12:30am, shoppers were lining up to pay their parking tickets when the silver BMW suddenly crashed into the building. Witnesses added that the luxury car also smashed through the shopping centre’s glass doors. After notifying the mall’s security team, shoppers called the police and the ambulance.

According to the China Press, at least 5 people were injured and the BMW driver sustained no injuries.

The ordeal was filmed and uploaded to Facebook by a user named Beckham Choong. The viral video shows a woman screaming in pain while the BMW driver sits in the car with the door half open. Besides that, the post also features photos of the accident.

As at time of writing, Choong’s post has been shared over 5,000 times on 新山吹水站’s Facebook page.

Source: 新山吹水站’s Facebook pageMany netizens criticised the man for his recklessness and wish the victims a speedy recovery from the terrible accident.

What are your thoughts on the accident? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

Sources: 新山吹水站’s Facebook page, China Press.


5 Things To Know About Shopee Malaysia’s Chinese New Year Sale

Ready to get huat this Chinese New Year? This time, Shopee Malaysia has announced the CNY campaign that includes a greater year of deals and discounts.

Following last year’s impressive achievements, Southeast Asia’s leading e-commerce platform is looking to maintain its strong growth momentum for 2020. Here are a few highlights to take note during this month:

A post shared by Shopee Malaysia (@shopee_my)

From now till 28th January, you can enjoy free shipping when you spend a minimum of RM18 on Shopee. Users in Peninsular Malaysia are in for an even bigger treat as they can get their items shipped to them, free of charge. Simply claim the vouchers at 12am, 9am, 1pm or 8pm.

You won’t want to miss out on the RM8 prosperity deals on CNY Hampers, 24-can Coca-Cola, Tefal Cookware set, Cheongsam, Khind stand fans and more.

Exciting deals awaits shoppers on 13th January (Monday) cause the Huat Ah! Huat Ah!
Sale taking place where you can find unbeatable promotions from all categories, upsized Shocking Sale, and a 10gram Gold Bar worth RM2,250 for just RM1 in One or Not.

Snap up lucrative e-vouchers from F&B to services, hotels and theme parks via the Reloads, Vouchers and Bills feature on the App. To ensure that you and your house are in tip-top shape, purchase vouchers and beauty services or get help with cleaning services without breaking a sweat.

Since many are travelling back to your respective hometowns, getting the vehicle serviced is a must! Basic servicing options from changing tyres to a full car maintenance are available with the click of a button.

In addition to Shopee Shake, there are new games under Lucky Lai such as Shopee Ang Pow and Fortune Sticks. There are vouchers worth a total of RM88,000 and more than 18 million Shopee Coins to be won.

Knowledge is power. From now till 17th January, Fengshui Master Jane Hor will be appearing on Shopee Live at 12.30pm on weekdays to give helpful insights about your fortune, family, home, career, love and health.

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


Petrol & Diesel Prices Malaysia For 23rd – 29th November 2017

It’s that time again where motorists in Malaysia are eager to find out if they’re required to make another trip to the nearest petrol station.

According to our source, both petrol and diesel prices will go down starting from Thursday midnight (23rd November) onwards.

The expected prices for petrol and diesel for 23rd – 29th November 2017 are:

The current prices for 16th – 22nd November 2017 are:

We will update the fuel prices should the official announcement differs from aforementioned prices.