#Journey: American Rock Band Returning To Singapore In February 2017

You know them for their timeless hit “Don’t Stop Believin”. Now get ready to experience them live!

That’s right folks, after their successful debut back in 2013, rock band Journey is set to return to Singapore next year to thrill fans with their collection of rock anthems.

Formed in 1973, the rock icons have since undergone several reshuffles over the years. The current 5-piece-rockers includes Filipino vocalist and former fan Arnel Pineda on lead vocals, Neal Schon on guitars and backing vocals, Ross Valory on bass and backing vocals, Jonathan Cain on keyboards and backing vocals together with Steve Smith on drums.

With renowned drummer Steve Smith returning to the band after taking hiatus in 1998, fans can expect Journey’s upcoming concert to be nothing short of spectacular with classic favourites such as “Separate ways (Worlds Apart)”, “Any Way You Want”, and “Open Arms”.

Brought to you by LAMC Productions, the details to Journey’s “Live in Singapore” concert are as follows:

Tickets are available via Sistic from Thursday onwards (17th November, 9am). You can also check out LAMC Productions’ Facebook event page for more information.


Veuve Clicquot Celebrates The Grand Launch of Stratosphere, The Roof

Veuve Clicquot celebrated the highly awaited grand launch of Stratosphere, The Roof in a glamorous and fascinating party under the stars. Champagne lovers of Veuve Clicquot were treated to an exceptional night brimming with bubbly and invigorating music by DJ Victor Trixter.

Reflecting on its motto of “Only one quality, the finest”, the house of Veuve Clicquot is known for its distinctive parties and this party was no exception. Set against the beautiful, glittering city skyline, the décor at Stratosphere reverberated with bright fiery orange tints − a champagne lifestyle Madame Clicquot, the effervescent matron, presented champagne enthusiasts and everyone else with.

Although the stars in the sky played hide and seek that night, the party went on as the venue was filled with urbanites who were enjoying Veuve Clicquot, good company and bubbly music. The eclectic crowd was infused with the KL city’s elites including comedian Douglas Lim, television personalities Sarah Lian and Raj Aria, actor Hansen Lee, Astro Supersport host Jun Yong and radio announcers Jeremy, Mynn and Priya to name a few.

To mark the occasion, guests were also entertained with two exciting star themed activities. The first, “Search for The Lucky Star”, required participants to search for a given star using a sky map application on the iPad within 30 seconds. Those who managed to match the stars had their names collected and one lucky draw winner went home with a bottle of Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label Magnum. The second activity for the night was the Star Shower, where three lucky strings amongst 50 strings released a confetti shower. Each guest that tugged on this lucky string walked away with a bottle of Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label Magnum. As the night came to an end, partygoers left feeling nothing but satisfied after having enjoyed a night under a sky full of stars.

More pictures from the night can be seen in the gallery below.

More information on Veuve Clicquot and its range of champagnes can be obtained on its website.

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#Malaysia: First Official Photos Of Johor Princess & Husband-To-Be Unveiled

The Johor Royal Press Office have dropped the first official photos of Tunku Tun Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah Sultan Ibrahim, the only daughter of Sultan of Johor, and Dennis Muhammad Abdullah.

The 2 photos were taken reportedly last week at Istana Bukit Serene. The first photo shows the gorgeous couple wearing matching grey traditional Malay attire while the 2nd photo features the pair in stylish casual wear.

Tunku Aminah was born on 8th April 1986 and is the only daughter to Sultan of Johor Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar and Permaisuri Johor Raja Zarith Sofiah Sultan Idris Shah. Meanwhile, the Johor Princess’ soon-to-be husband, who converted to Islam in May 2015, was born Dennis Verbaas on 1st May 1989, in Lisse, a town near Amsterdam, Holland.

It was also reported that the Dutchman was a semi-professional footballer and served as the JDT Concept Store and Cafe manager before becoming the marketing manager of Tampines Rovers Football Club in Singapore.

31-year-old Tunku Aminah and 28-year-old Dennis Muhammad’s highly-anticipated royal wedding is set to be held at Istana Bukit Serene on 14th August. The happy news was announced on 15th July by the state’s Royal Council.

Source: NST / Featured image: The Johor Royal Press Office.


Hype’s Movie Review: #BridgeOfSpies, A Riveting Cold War Thriller

The second Steven Spielberg‘s Cold War thriller “Bridge of Spies” is shown on screen, we see a mysterious old man staring at himself in the mirror while applying paint to a drawing of himself. A moment later, the phone rings. As if he had been waiting for the call, he gets up and picks up the call. He listens and ends it without uttering a word.

What a way to carve a mysterious man by opening the film with a long and wordless sequence like this. However, he is later revealed to be an alleged Russian spy named Rudolf Abel (played by Mark Rylance).

“Bridge of Spies” is not about Abel though. It is about Jim Donovan (played by Tom Hanks), a Brooklyn insurance lawyer who agrees to represent Abel who was caught in the US as a Soviet spy. He later finds himself thrust into the centre of the Cold War when the CIA sends him on the highly important yet dangerous task to negotiate for the swap of Abel with captured American U-2 pilot Francis Gary Powers (played by Austin Stowell).

And get this: “Bridge of Spies” is based on a true story. So almost everything about this movie is real and we must say, it is yet another incredibly well-directed movie by Spielberg.

Now, let’s not focus on Hanks first. We need to talk about Rylance, who did a remarkable job at portraying his role as Abel

In this film, we first saw him as a painter. He seemed harmless, but boy, were we wrong about him. Abel is later captured by the government and accused for the crime of espionage against the US on behalf of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR).

Even though Rylance plays only a supporting character, he stole the show with his unwaveringly assertive yet non-emotive performance. Most of his scenes with Hanks proved to be the most interesting parts of the film, but unfortunately there aren’t a lot of scenes of their intellectual conversations.

And there’s Hanks’ Donovan, who is by far the only character who decides to be warm and generous to Abel.

As we’ve previously mentioned, this is Hanks’ 4th time collaborating with Spielberg after 1998’s “Saving Private Ryan”, 2002’s “Catch Me If You Can”, and 2004’s “The Terminal”. Their latest collaboration is flawless because both Spielberg and Hanks knocked our socks off with their directing style and acting respectively.

Hanks once again stole our hearts with his incredibly likeable character as Donovan. He balances his role between a noble defence lawyer who doesn’t surrender, an admirable, supportive family man, and a caring husband to his wife Mary (played by Amy Ryan).

Some of you might not enjoy this film as much as we do because there aren’t a lot of epic action scenes. What they did show is a dynamic sequence where Francis Gary Powers falls into enemy hands after his plane is shot down by the Soviets.

This is the same scenario that Donovan envisioned while trying to defend a captured man like Abel. Before Powers is captured, he argues that Abel shouldn’t be sentenced to death as it would have been a politically bad move. He explains that imprisoning him would be a better idea because the government would want any captured American to be treated well.

As a result, someone with no political status like Donovan is requested by CIA to mediate the negotiations with the Soviets. Of course, Donovan is not superior as he suffers from a persistent cold, making him far less perfect than any extraordinary men that are typically shown in the spy thrillers.

All in all, “Bridge of Spies” is a riveting Cold War thriller, with a lawyer like Donovan putting America in a positive light and a spy like Abel showing the world that he’s just a soldier doing his job.

While it’s not Spielberg’s best film, we dare to say that this is one of the best films of the year.

Written by Ethan and Joel Coen, “Bridge of Spies” is based on an original script by Matt Charman. It comes 17 years after Spielberg won a directing Oscar for “Saving Private Ryan”.

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

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U2 To Debut New Song During The Super Bowl

Over the years, the annual Super Bowl has turned into a porting event that brings everyone from all walks of life together, even if it’s just for a couple hours.

Taking advantage of this situation, U2 will debut the new song Invisible during this year’s Super Bowl in a commercial that will launch the band’s new partnership with (RED) and Bank of America. The new agreement is set to raise over $10 million to fight AIDS.

After the debut, Invisible will be available as a free download on iTunes during the game and for the next 24 hours. Bank of America is said to donate $1 for each download of Invisible (up to $2 million) to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria – a service that is responsible for treatment, medicine and prevention services to the populations of the world’s poorest countries. Currently, one of the top priorities of (RED), which is cofounded by frontman Bono in 2006 with Bobby Shiver and the Global Fund is to eliminate the transmission of HIV from mother-to-child by 2015.

With the extra proceeds from Bank of America, (RED) is expected to exceed a quarter-billion dollars raised for the Global Fund. “Bank of America’s commitment to donate $10 million spurred further donations from the Gates Foundation, SAP and Africa’s Motsepe Family totalling $22 million,” said Bono in a statement.

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Fun Facts: #StarWars #RogueOne; The Good, The Bad, & The Force

If you haven’t seen the film, opt out of this review right away as it may contain spoilers!

But if you have seen it and you just need someone to agree/disagree with, or if you don’t mind spoilers and just need an opinion (our 2 cents!) before you watch it, then read on.

By now, you’ve probably seen nothing but rave reviews of “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” on your social media news feeds, be it from shared articles or friends’ statuses. The first of the “Star Wars” standalone (read: spin-off) films, “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” opened to much fanfare last week worldwide. In fact, according to BBC, the film has taken a whopping total of USD290.5 million (£232.8 million) globally on its opening weekend alone.

But is it really as great as raved about on social media by your family, friends, acquaintances, whoever? Here’s what we thought of the movie:

1. Tarkin, Leia, Darth Vader, need we say more?

If this standalone movie is supposed to connect fans to “Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope”, then it shouldn’t surprise anyone that some cameos had to be made – by hook or by crook. For real. Of course, ultimate “Star Wars” baddie Darth Vader had to be in it, voiced by none other than James Earl Jones (who is now 85 years old) of the original “Star Wars” film series. But the biggest challenge must’ve been the out-of-this-world attempt to bring Imperial governor Grand Moff Tarkin back, who was played by British actor Peter Cushing in 1977. Peter Cushing died back in 1994 but his character made a grand return in “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”, signature cheekbones and all, courtesy of BBC soap actor Guy Henry and some CG wizardry. Thanks to technology, fans also came face-to-face with a CG-enhanced (to masterfully add Carrie Fisher’s facial expressions) cameo of Princess Leia (played by Norwegian actress Ingvild Deila). To say the least, the “Star Wars” fans in us were doing cartwheels when those scenes played. How the production crew got the voice work so spot on is beyond us, though!

2. A little too fast-paced for proper character development

Because “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” is pretty much action-packed right from the very beginning at breakneck speed, it left very little room for proper character development. Case in point, Jyn Erso. Played by British actress Felicity Jones (of “The Theory of Everything” fame), Jyn Erso’s story kicks off when we are introduced to her family, Galen Erso (played by Mads Mikkelsen) and Lyra Erso (played by Valene Kane). A skilled scientist, Galen is sought after by the Empire for the production of the Death Star. To protect Jyn and ultimately save the galaxy, Galen agrees to become an obedient Imperial stooge, only to secretly plant an Achilles heel in the Death Star. Fast forward to the future, Jyn, having grown up without her parents or a proper father figure, lives on a day-to-day survival basis and is a stubborn, world-hating young lady. Reckless and rebellious (they put great emphasis on this), she meets Cassian Andor (played by Diego Luna) in her quest to find her father, who in turn introduces her to the Alliance. Bam, as quickly as that happened, Jyn went from rambunctious rebel to Rebel spies leader before you can even say, “May the force be with you.” Wait, what?

3. We want a K2 because he’s the bomb digs!

Aside from Grand Moff Tarkin, Princess Leia, and Darth Vader, lovable “Star Wars” droid pair C3PO and R2D2 also made a cameo for all of 10 seconds (blink and you’ll miss them!). But one other droid effectively stole the show – the formidable and towering K2SO (pronounced as Kaytoo Esso), otherwise known as just K2. Voiced by Alan Tudyk (of “Moana” fame), K2 is a former Imperial security droid freed and reprogrammed by Rebel fighter Cassian Andor (played by Diego Luna). Matte black and about 7 ft tall, K2 is armed with killer capabilities and the best snarky lines in all his British-accented glory. At times, he’s all “not a single f*ck was given” deadpan in his conversations to Jyn Erso, because he’s brutally honest like that, but when Jyn blasts an identical-looking Imperial security droid, K2 whimpers, “Did you know that wasn’t me?”, inciting laughter from the audience. For a film that’s as fast-paced and dark (read: unusually high body count) as “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”, it was sure refreshing to have K2 deliver some excellent comic relief.

4. “The force is with me, I am one with the force”

2 words: Donnie Yen. The multiple award-winning 53-year-old Chinese actor (of “Ip Man” fame) plays a blind character in “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” – mysterious spiritual warrior-monk Chirrut Imwe. As a monk, he’s seemingly gentle with words and in his mannerisms. However, in the film’s climatic battle scenes, damn, he’s a badass, whipping out martial arts moves that one would’ve never dreamed of ever seeing in a “Star Wars” movie. Who needs a lightsaber when you have Chirrut Imwe to take down an entire band of Stormtroopers with just a wooden staff? ;) And was it hard playing Chirrut Imwe in a film primarily dominated by CG, blasters, and armours? In speaking to USA Today, Donnie said, “For me, the hardest part was not being able to interact with my fellow actors because as a blind character, I wasn’t able to look them in the eye and draw reactions from them. Plus the contact lenses weren’t comfortable and I had to take them out of my eyes every 20 minutes.” Not bad, not bad at all for the first Chinese actor cast in a “Star Wars” movie. Represent!

5. Director Gareth Edwards included unseen “Star Wars” footage

There’s no better way to further enhance “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” than to include original, previous unseen “Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope” footage into the film. Not only did Director Gareth Edwards successfully blend nostalgia with mind-blowing CG for the standalone “Star Wars” flick, certain scenes in the film were created from discarded footage shot for “Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope”. Gareth told RadioTimes.com, “We went to Skywalker ranch, and there’s the archives there. And as we’re walking around, and doing all the cool things and looking at the Millennium Falcon and trying on Han Solo’s jacket and things like that, in the back at the bottom was all these cans of film. And we said, ‘What are they?’ and they said ‘Oh, it’s Star Wars’.” Grabbing at the opportunity to pay homage to “Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope”, Gareth included the iconic Death Star assault at the end of the film and the X-Wing call sign exchange.

6. “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” pales in comparison, sorry

While “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” was a gift wrapped in a galaxy-patterned paper topped off with a metallic silver bow for “Star Wars” fans, “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” took a completely different route in storytelling. Beautiful cinematography, new never-seen-before characters, and “childhood memories igniting” cameos aside, the film filled in the blanks for the original trilogy, taking fans behind the scenes of what happened when Rebel spies fought their way to getting their hands on the Death Star plans. No longer just part of a “space opera” franchise, there were epic battle scenes at aesthetically pleasing locations (Maldives!), big swooping sacrifices, and some of the best lines. Suffice to say, “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” painted “Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope” in a new light.

A real standalone “Star Wars” movie, “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” will not disappoint. And we’d be lying if it didn’t make us want to rewatch “Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope” immediately.

To quote Mark Hamill aka Luke Skywalker:

Perfect Cast Astonishing Action Non-Stop Thrills Grabs U from the 1st frame & never lets go! Not just a great #SWMovie A #GreatMovie PERIOD! pic.twitter.com/hS25VYCVvP

— Mark Hamill (@MarkHamill) December 17, 2016

Starring Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Alan Tudyk, Donnie Yen, Mads Mikkelsen, Riz Ahmed, and more, “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” has been released in a cinema near you.

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

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#TheHungerGames: Movie Franchise May Get A Prequel & More Sequels

Directed by Francis Lawrence, “The Hunger Games” trilogy is the film adaptation of the Suzanne Collins’ hugely successful YA fiction trilogy of the same name. The 1st book was adapted into movie in 2012 and immediately gained a huge following. Subsequently, the 2nd book “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” was adapted into a movie in 2013 while the final part of the trilogy is divided into two films.

As the movie franchise is coming to an end with the 2nd part of “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay” this November, Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer told investors during an earnings call that the franchise may get a prequel and more sequels in the coming years.

According to Deadline, Feltheimer wants to keep the franchise alive because he is “actively looking at some development and thinking about prequel and sequel possibilities”. As Warner Bros. Pictures is developing a live-action adaptation of “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” for the “Harry Potter” series, the studio is interested in re-introducing “The Hunger Games” franchise too. However, no further details were shared.

The report is a follow-up to Lionsgate’s earlier announcement about the decision to develop a “John Wick” sequel and that “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2” will get an IMAX 3D release. Before announcing that  “The Hunger Games: The Exhibition” will open on 1st July at Discovery Times Square in New York City, Lionsgates is said to be eyeing a “Hunger Games” theme park attraction too.

The report came as no surprise to us as “The Hunger Games” trilogy is a tremendously successful franchise with a big, growing fan base. Like the “Harry Potter” series, the trilogy poses a powerful impact on the audiences as its final part is one of the highly anticipated novels-turned-movies in 2015. Even though the”Divergent” series is developed under the same studio as “The Hunger Games”, the series hasn’t managed to capture the same audience attention.

However, the problem lies in developing the storyline for the prequel or the sequels because there’s simply no room for expansion. The prequel is possible without Jennifer Lawrence’s character but for the sequels, it is unclear whether the Oscar-winning actress would want to reprise the role as Katniss Everdeen. What we can confirm for now is that “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2” is currently slated for release on 20th Nov 2015.

What do you think Lionsgate should focus on if a prequel movie is being developed? Would you like to see a prequel or sequels for the movie franchise? Share your thoughts in the comment box below.

(Source: Deadline, ComingSoon, THR / Featured image)


This Original Avenger Will Survive #InfinityWar

We all know that almost all the big Marvel characters will be appearing in “Avengers: Infinity War”. However, not all of them will make it out alive.

It is believed that at least 1 major character will die somewhere in “Infinity War” and “Avengers 4”. This is to cement the fact that the ultimate big bad Thanos is not to be messed with. Having said that, we’re fairly certain that Captain America will survive the first round of battles with Thanos.

Thanks to some new pictures obtained by Just Jared, Brie Larson and Chris Evans were recently spotted arriving on the film set in Atlanta to shoot “Avengers 4”. Could Captain Marvel and Captain America be teaming up?

“I think fans should be prepared for some very intense surprises in these movies. My brother and I believe in stakes; I believe that everything has to come to an end at some point, in order for it to have value,” director Joe Russo was previously quoted as saying.

The next 2 instalments of “Avengers” franchise are being set up to change the Marvel Cinematic Universe in a major way. Besides Iron Man, another character that has been heavily rumoured to die has been Captain America. Cap might still bite the dust, but at least not in “Infinity War”.

Those who have read the “Infinity Gauntlet” comics may remember that Captain America was killed after Thanos broke his neck during a battle. It remains to be seen if the Russo Brothers are sticking close to the source material.

To find out more about the plot details of “Avengers: Infinity War”, go here.


#WangWithShopee: CNY Campaign Offers Fortune Ang Pao & RM1 Million In Prizes

Would you like to “Wang with Shopee” this Chinese New Year 2018?

The online shopping bonanza has officially kicked off their Chinese New Year campaign. Starting from 15th January till 25th February, shoppers will get to participate in the Fortune Ang Pao game and win some Shopee coins and vouchers, plus over 20,000 golden tickets daily.

What’s the use of these golden tickets you ask? Well, each golden ticket represents the number of chance you have at winning the grand prize and weekly prizes. Some of these lucrative prizes include gold bars worth more than RM500 each, weekly cash prizes of RM1,500 and a grand prize of RM8,888 in cash.

Fret not if you don’t get to snap the aforementioned prizes because the golden ticket entitles you to a sure-win lucky draw. During the 6-week shopping bonanza, online patrons can also win a trip for 2 to Hong Kong Disneyland or Shopee Prosperity Boxes, while enjoying Shopee’s Shocking Sales flash deals.

If you feel that it’s too troublesome to check in on Shopee every single day, then perhaps you’d like to focus on just the 6 dates in bold:

The best bargains will take place from 22nd January to 24th January, and from 21st to 23rd February. You can thank us later ;)

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(UPDATE) #Setapak: Woman Suffers 60% Burns While Using Phone In Petrol Station

A young woman was severely burned when her handphone exploded at a petrol station in Taman Setapak Indah. Apparently, the 25-year-old woman was answering a call in the backseat of her car while refuelling at 1:25pm on Tuesday (28th June).

One of the station’s workers saw a cloud of black smoke coming out from inside of the car and when he opened the door, the woman was already heavily injured.

“When my worker opened the door, he saw a cloud of smoke from inside the car. The woman had severe burns, with her skin clinging to the backseat. At the same time, my staff prevented anyone from approaching the scene of the incident.They have all been trained to provide early assistance in the event of an emergency, until help arrives,” said Muhd Haikal Kamarudin, manager of the petrol station.

The woman was sent to Hospital Kuala Lumpur for treatment and it is learnt that she suffered burns covering 60% of her body.

City Fire and Rescue Department chief operations officer Samsol Maarif Saibani said that there was no fire following the handphone explosion, urging the public to refrain from using their mobile phones when refuelling their vehicles.

When photos of the incident first circulated on Facebook, many netizens commented that they have the habit of talking on the phone or answering calls while they refuel their cars. One user known as Chong wrote, “I always answer calls when I visit the petrol station. I’m definitely scared now.”

Meanwhile, some netizens pointed fingers at the petrol station’s attendants for not stopping the victim from using her mobile phone.

“The station’s worker should remind customers to turn off their engine and to not use their phones. That’s the right way. But these employees did nothing,” commented Chew.

The woman who was burnt using her handphone while she was filing petrol in her car in Taman Setapak Indah has died, Bernama confirms.

According to Wangsa Maju police chief Supt Mohamad Roy Suhaimi Sarif, who was informed by the family, 25-year-old T. Sarifhla passed away at 5am on Sunday (17th July) in Kuala Lumpur Hospital.

“The victim’s family announced the death today (19th July) and the case was classified as sudden death,” he told Bernama.

Sources: Bernama, NST, 八度空间华语新闻 Facebook Page / Featured image: 八度空间华语新闻 Facebook Page.


Westlife Teases New Music & Reunion Tour With Promo Poster & Video

2 weeks ago, fans around the world were delighted to know that Westlife’s comeback was finally being set in motion.

Yesterday evening (Thursday, 4th October), music lovers were treated with 2 things – an official snapshot from their photoshoot and a teaser clip announcing new music and the highly-anticipated reunion tour.

According to The Irish Sun, manager Louis Walsh revealed that the quartet will released their brand new single next month. There have been claims that their comeback single is penned by Grammy-winning artist Ed Sheeran.

In the announcement video below, Shane Filan, Kian Egan, Mark Feehily and Nicky Byrne take their seats on their trademark stools. However, the absence of original member Brian McFadden was felt. Turns out, he was never asked to return.

Metro UK claims that McFadden is busy competing on the “Dancing On Ice” competition. In addition, he has also been working on his solo record while touring as part of Boyzlife with Keith Duffy. “I think Brian has made it widely known that he’s not expressed any desire to go back into Westlife so the topic has never been broached. He’s currently really focused on his solo album, which he’s just finished recording and is preparing for release,” a spokesperson said.

A post shared by Hype Malaysia (@hypemy)

As for Westlife’s full-length album, fans may have to wait till next year. Word on the street has it that it’ll come out just before their tour kicks off from May to July.

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#GSC: Cinema Chain To Hold Malaysia’s Largest “One Piece” Cosplay Event

To celebrate the release of the highly-anticipated “One Piece Film: Gold”, Golden Screen Cinema’s (GSC) will be holding a Gala Screening in attempt to get into “The Malaysia Book of Records” for having “The Most Fans Dressed in ‘One Piece’ Character Costume”.

Helmed by Hiroaki Miyamoto, “One Piece Film: Gold”, which was released in Japan on 23rd July 2016, is penned by Tsutomu Kuroiwa and executive produced by Eiichiro Oda, creator of “One Piece”.

The plot summary of the film is as follows:

“Set in Gran Tesoro, an independent country chartered by the World Government, home of the world’s greatest entertainment city where well-known pirates, Marines, and millionaires throughout the world gather in an “absolute sanctuary” that even the World Government can’t touch. There, the Straw Hat Pirates meet the ruler of the country, the golden emperor, Gild Tesoro. He is about to take action to satisfy his bottomless ambition which may result in major changes in power relationships in the New World…”

To attend the event, participants are required to dress up as any “One Piece” character and those who fail to do so may be denied entry without a refund. Advance tickets for the film are available for pre-order starting today (12th August).

The details of GSC’s “One Piece Film: Gold” Gala Screening and cosplay event is as follows:

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


Parents In India Brutally Kill 13-Year-Old Daughter For Talking To A Boy

As ridiculous as this sounds, you can actually get killed for talking to someone from the opposite sex.

A 13-year-old girl named Radhika was recently brutally murdered simply because she was seen being friendly with a boy from the same school. What’s even more shocking is the fact that the murderers were her own parents!

The horrific crime took place in Nalgonda, near Hyderabad, India. According to local media, Radhika’s father, identified as Narasimha, flew into rage when he caught his child conversing with a boy outside of the local government school. Upon arriving home, Narasimha accused Radhika of bringing shame to the family’s name.

Reports claimed that Narasimha, an agricultural worker, had smashed his daughter’s head against a wall. During the assault, he even strangled her; ultimately taking her life. Police also stated that Radhika’s mother, Lingamma, took part in the execution by pouring kerosene fuel over the girl’s body before setting it on fire.

Despite their initial claims that Radhika had committed suicide, Narasimha and Lingamma eventually confessed to killing their daughter out of anger. The parents have since been taken into custody and charged with murder and for concealing evidence.

India is one of the countries where women are considered inferior to men and are often ill-treated. Radhika is one of the youngest victims of honour killing.

Sources: Next Shark, Independent UK/ Featured image: AFP/ NDTV.


Netizens Tried To “Save” The Husband Who Bought A Similar Bike To Khairy Jamaluddin

Local netizens have been buzzing about the cycling accident involving YB Khairy Jamaluddin over the past few days.

The issue came to light once again after the price of the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation’s bike became a hot topic of conversation among social media users online.

This came after a parody Twitter account named The Borneo Ghost claimed that the bike is worth RM45,000. Though it cannot be ascertained whether the price of the bicycle is actually priced as the value stated, one Twitter user, however, was taken aback when she saw the post.

As seen in the screenshot above, the netizen, known as iamsapphire (@CikNils) shared that the bike that KJ was using is similar to her husband’s. She also claimed that he had never informed her about the real price of the bicycle! The wife’s tweet has since gone viral, with over 21k retweets at the time of writing (Wednesday, 30th December).

Interestingly enough, the replies section was flooded with many male netizens attempting to save the husband. Was the hubby caught red-handed in buying a bicycle worth tens of thousands of ringgit? Even The Borneo Ghost chimed in by clarifying that they had written the inaccurate price of the vehicle.

Check out some of the entertaining responses below:

What would be your reaction if you were caught in such a situation?

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A Pink’s Yookyung Leaves Group

Yesterday, it was revealed that K-Pop idol girl group A Pink’s Yookyung will no longer be part of the group. Fans are still reeling from the shocking news, but A Cube Entertainment has assured them that it was neither due to a conflict nor any other negative reasons. The label announced through an official press release:

We first want to apologize to all the fans for having to deliver news of this nature. Yookyung, who debuted on April 19th of 2011 and received a lot of love while shedding tears and smiling with many fans over the past 2 years, will no longer be with us as an A Pink member.

Yookyung has always tried her best since her debut and has been a hard working member. After debating for a long time between continuing as a celebrity and focusing on her studies, as well as the other six members’ futures, Yookyung and her agency have made this very hard decision.

As Yookyung will be entering university this year, she will no longer be A Pink’s Yookyung, but a student like others her age. Please support her and her future.

A Pink, which debuted in 2011 with “Seven Springs of A Pink“, are currently preparing for a comeback, although it is unknown how Yookyung’s departure will affect their plans.

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#WhatsApp: Annoying Blue Ticks Can Now Be Disabled

Remember when WhatsApp “surprised” its users with a function that shows users if their messages have been read or vice versa? Remember how you woke up one morning to WhatsApp quietly updating its app for users to discover some blue checkmarks, which..while it cleared some confusion about the previous grey checkmarks, managed to irk WhatsApp users about the level of privacy?

How many of you got the, “Blue ticks means you read already but you didn’t reply me!” remarks over your WhatsApp messages in the past week or so?

Other cross-messaging platforms e.g. LINE, BBM have had the “read” indication for years now but maybe WhatsApp users weren’t at all used to the app being so intrusive out of nowhere. But you can rest your worries and annoyances now and stop hating on the app.

WhatsApp is ready to push an update that will make the blue ticks go away. Yes, your complaints were heard loud and clear! In their latest update for Android (WhatsApp version 2.11.444), there is now a setting that lets you opt out from sending “Read Receipts”. With this update, your WhatsApp contacts will not be able to see if you have read the messages or not as the two checkmarks will not turn blue at their end and will remain grey.

However, WhatsApp is also being 100% fair with this function. Much like a user’s ability to turn off the “Last Seen” status, if you turn off the “Read Receipts”, you won’t be able to see other people’s “Read Receipts” either.

And the world makes sense again. All that’s left to do is to wait for the update to be made available on the Google Play Store. Alternatively, you could also hit up here to download the latest update.

We’ll leave you now with local YouTubers jinnyboytv’s hilarious take on the WhatsApp blue ticks. Enjoy:


#missA: Group Comeback With A New Album Expected In Late March

Oh boy. It looks like the battle between the K-Pop idol groups is getting stronger as various Korean idol groups such as the likes of SM Entertainment’s EXO and FNC Entertainment’s FTISLAND are expected to make their comebacks in the coming months.

Their comebacks may be highly anticipated, but we can’t help but feel excited for miss A because the group is going to make its long-awaited comeback too.

Formed in 2010, Miss A (stylized as miss A) is a 4-member Korean-Chinese K-pop girl group based in South Korea. The group is managed by JYP Entertainment and it is made up of 2 Chinese members (Jia and Fei) and 2 Korean members (Min and Suzy). The group made their official debut on 1st July 2010 with “Bad Girl Good Girl“, the hit single from their 1st EP “Bad But Good”. After releasing their 2nd 4-track EP “Step Up” in September 2010, the group made their comeback in 2011 with “A Class”, the group’s 1st studio album.

More than a year later, the group released their 2nd full-length studio album, “Hush” on 6th November 2013. The album consists of 13 songs including 7 never-before-heard new songs. It even topped various major music charts in South Korea and the group ended their album promotion with “Love Is U” last year.

In 2014, the members took a break from their music career, but they continued to stay in the public eye through various variety shows and TV series. Of course, that didn’t stop them from pursuing their passion in music because a representative of JYP Entertainment confirmed that the girls are ready for a group comeback.

On 11th March, the rep told The Fact that the group will release “a new album” by the end of March, describing that it contains “miss A’s distinct sexiness”. The group’s comeback elicited excitement from the fans as it’d be their 1st album since the release of 2013’s “Hush”.

The upcoming months are going to be phenomenal because INFINITE is expected to make a comeback in May.

BIGBANG, too, was expected to make a comeback in early April and SNSD was rumoured to make a comeback in May. However, both YG Entertainment and SM Entertainment have denied the reports. It’s only a matter of time before JYP announces its upcoming plan for the group.

What do you think of the comeback news? Are you excited to see them on stage again? Share your thoughts in the comment box below.

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92-Year-Old South Korean Woman Murdered In Genting Highlands

Yesterday morning at 8:40am (Tuesday, 15th August), the body of a 92-year-old South Korean woman was found tied up in a hotel bathroom in Genting Highlands.

Bentong police district chief Mohamad Mansor Mohd Nor identified the victim as Xiang Lian Jin. The police force believed that she was murdered by her fellow countryman. The South Korean male suspect, aged 57, is Sung Kyuk-seok (pictured below).

Sung Kyuk-seok was last seen entering the room at 3:30pm on Monday (14th August). At the time, only Xiang Lian Jin and her Malaysian helper were present. It is believed that the woman’s daughter and granddaughter had gone to the resort.

“While holding them at knifepoint, the suspect allegedly asked the victim and the helper to keep quiet before tying up their hands and legs using ropes and cloth. The suspect then hit the victim, saying that he was dissatisfied with the victim’s eldest son for always badmouthing him,” Mohamad Mansor was quoted as saying.

After allegedly punching the elderly lady and dragging her to the bathroom to tie her up, he waited for the senior citizen’s daughter to return before assaulting her as well. Shortly after he fled the scene at approximately 7am, the victim’s daughter and maid alerted the police.

Mohamad Mansor revealed that the suspect had a misunderstanding with the victim’s eldest son over money-lending activities. Police are currently tracking Sung Kyuk-seok down to facilitate the case under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder.

Sources: Channel NewsAsia, NST, Asia One/ Featured image: AFP.


Gone But Not Forgotten: Freddie Mercury Died 22 Years Ago On November 24th

Freddie Mercury born Farrokh Bulsara On September 5th, 1946 was a British musician, singer and songwriter. Best known for his role as the lead vocalist of legendary rock band Queen, Freddie Mercury was loved for his flamboyant stage persona and powerful vocals over a four-octave range. Some of Freddie’s biggest hits that he composed for Queen include Bohemian Rhapsody, Killer Queen, Somebody to Love, Don’t Stop Me Now, Crazy Little Thing Called Love and We Are The Champions.

Apart from his role as the lead vocalist of Queen, Freddie also led a solo career and occasionally served as a producer and guest musician, be it a pianist or vocalist for other artists. Freddie died of bronchopneumonia which was brought on by AIDS on November 24th, 1992, two days after publicly acknowledging that he had the disease.

And here’s a tribute to Freddie Mercury by Elton John and Axl Rose of Guns N’ Roses


Contest: 40 Tickets To PrudentialxSuperM Virtual Concert & Fan Meet Up For Grabs

Who’s ready to start “Jopping” again to SuperM (슈퍼엠)? In conjunction with Prudential’s “We DO Well Together” campaign, the K-pop supergroup will be holding a virtual concert and fan meet next month.

Since good things are meant to be shared, we’re looking to invite 40 lucky K-pop fans to join us as we witness SuperM in action together. There’s no lining up in-front of a stadium or fighting to secure the best seats, cause you’ll get to enjoy the concert in real-time at the comfort of your home.

Ever since SuperM made its debut in 2019, the 7-member group from SM Entertainment have set the bar for K-pop. Consisting of artists from 4 boy groups, SuperM consists of Taemin of SHINee, Kai and Baekhyun of EXO, Taeyong and Mark of NCT 127, together with Ten and Lucas of WayV.

The “We DO Well Together” campaign is to promote the importance of staying fit and healthy by attaining wellness proactively. The group’s music video for “We DO” (which was released earlier in April) is a perfect example to encourage fans to keep moving in a fun way.

So regardless of who your bias is, rest assured that the PrudentialxSuperM We DO Virtual Concert and Fan Meet is going to be an event to remember. Take a look at the concert details below:

Here are the terms & conditions on how you can win a ticket for yourself:

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Alleged ‘Datuk’ Picks A Fight At A Restaurant In Tropicana Avenue

At 8:20pm on Tuesday, a Chinese man claiming to be a ‘Datuk’ argued with another diner in a hot pot restaurant. The restaurant is reported to be located at Tropicana Avenue.

The argument started when the diner politely asked the ‘Datuk’ and his friends to tone down their volume. The simple request turned into a physical altercation.

A netizen who was there at the time detailed the fight on Facebook. According to them, the ‘Datuk’ and his friends had entered the restaurant looking drunk. They were very loud and made vocal complaints to other patrons in the restaurant.

A young man attempted to ask them to lower down their volume, but this angered the ‘Datuk’. He made a phone call and shortly after, two men arrived. It quickly escalated into a physical conflict.

During the argument, the ‘Datuk’ attempted to grab a pot of hot soup and pour it on the other party. Luckily, two of his friends dissuaded him. However, as his friends were leading him out of the restaurant, the ‘Datuk’ suddenly slapped the young man’s girlfriend. He tried to protect her but was beaten back.

The incident, which had been photographed and recorded by other patrons, went viral on social media. Netizens also attempted to identify the ‘Datuk’ on Facebook, but his account has been closed.

Petaling Jaya Police District Superintendent Nie Yi Chani confirmed in an interview that a report has been made by the victim. They are currently identifying the men involved. No arrests have been made yet but an investigation is underway based on Articles 323 (intentional injury) and Article 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Criminal Code.

The employees present then were mostly women. They opted not to interfere as they were afraid of being implicated.


#KoKoBop: EXO Unveils Music Video Teasers For Comeback

SM Entertainment’s widely-popular boy group EXO (엑소) has dropped music video teasers (Korean and Chinese) for their upcoming title track. The clips feature a fireworks display, powerful dance moves, and a red sports car.

According to Soompi, the group’s new track “Ko Ko Bop” is described as an energetic reggae pop number. The lyrics depict the night before a fateful, unavoidable war and how the boys should be together and dance freely as if no one is watching.

Besides that, it was also revealed that members Chen, Chanyeol, and Baekhyun have all participated in writing lyrics for the track.

“The War” consists of 9 tracks including their title track “Ko Ko Bop.” The album is slated for digital release at 6pm KST on 18th July while the physical album will be available for purchase on 19th July.

As at time of writing, 807,235 pre-ordered copies of “The War” have been sold. This is a new record for the group as their previous album, titled “EX’ACT”, sold around 660,000 copies.

For more info, visit EXO’s official website, Instagram, as well as EXO-K and EXO-M‘s respective Facebook pages.


#RevealedRecordings: Asian Club Tour Dates + Venues Announced, Includes Malaysia

Well, well, it looks like September is shaping up to be a pretty epic month for Malaysian clubbers.

For starters, we already know that Skrillex is set to make his Malaysian debut and rock Kuala Lumpur. Now, we can expect a slew of other DJs/producers to rock up to our city to do the same!

Establishing itself as something of an electronic music dynasty over the past 5 years, Hardwell’s Revealed Recordings has handpicked some of the finest talent the planet has to offer, and gradually assembled a team of the most promising and gifted artistes in electronic music.

This September, the imprint will be taking their eclectic roster to Asia for an illustrious run of tour dates through Mumbai, Kuala Lumpur (that’s us!), Hong Kong, Shanghai, Bangkok, Singapore, Taipei, and Seoul.

The artistes are set to journey into the heart of Asia with colossal nights at some of the biggest and best clubs on the continent. Partygoers can expect titanic sets showcasing some of the most exciting talent from within the Revealed Recordings ranks of DJs as they journey to venues in the region.

Each artiste carries the badge of quality synonymous with Revealed: Julian Calor, praised by a spectrum of artistes’ from Pete Tong to Diplo and fresh from a world beating set at this year’s Tomorrowland, joins emerging progressive house prodigy Joey Dale, returning to Asia after a brief excursion at the end of 2014, Kill The Buzz – Dutch big-room DJ and already a Revealed veteran with 3 years on the label already under his belt. 24-year-old Swedish upstart producer/DJ Manse will also be joining the gang, alongside the unshakable talents of Holland’s next prospective heir to the big room throne, Thomas Newson.

This tour signals the emergence of a new generation of artistes from within the scene, educated in the ways of the dance floor by the world’s biggest DJ and ushered through Asia by the seasoned hand of Revealed Recordings.

Choose your date from the list below and prepare for one of the biggest nights of the club calendar:

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


Ryan Reynolds Reacts To “Joker” Breaking “Deadpool” Record

It’s official, the “Joker” movie has become the highest grossing R-rated film of all time, and fellow Hollywood star Ryan Reynolds has taken to social media to respond.

The critically acclaim film, “Joker, debuted earlier this month and upon the release, has garnered serious praise from fans which led to the film earning a cool $788 million. This meant that the movie beat out former record holder movie, “Deadpool”, and is now the highest earning R-rated movie.

A post shared by Ryan Reynolds (@vancityreynolds)

So how did Mr Deadpool himself feel about this? This got a hilarious response from the 43-year-old actor, who took to social media to congratulating Todd Philip’s film, and at the same time, take a dig at it.

In the picture posted by the “Detective Pikachu” star, he plastered the words “You MotherF**cker” over the Phoenix, who done up the Joker character costume of the film. Along the steps of the now iconic stairs are a series of names of other acclaim R-rated film characters.

In the post, the Canadian have also added, “R-Rated box office congratulatory posts aren’t like the ones you’re used to…” As a nod to the risqué humour displayed by the “Joker” character and his own in “Deadpool.”

This, however, isn’t the first time the “RIPD” star has pulled this kind of prank and it will certainly not be the last. After all, Reynolds is infamous for his risqué humour and social media antics.

Who doesn’t love his ongoing troll war with fellow comic book star Hugh Jackman? Check out their latest feud here.


#Instagram: Update Allows Landscape & Portrait Posts; Standardises Filters For Videos

It truly has been a year of Instagram updates as the popular photo-sharing social platform continues to roll out changes both on the UI (user interface) front as well as on its backend.

From new filters to new editing tools, to tweaking hashtags and the way they work, and even bumping up the resolution/quality for pictures, it’s safe to say that Instagram has been on a roll.

It wasn’t too long ago that they introduced a new and cleaner look for their web design, but it looks like even its app has gotten quite an overhaul! Just today, Instagram announced that it is finally thinking out of the box or rather, out of the square, as it will now allow users to post in both landscape and portrait format.

Yes, you can now kiss the native square frame goodbye.

Instagram explained that after analysing data from its networks, they found that almost one in 5 photos/videos its users were posting weren’t natively square. Naturally, this leads to awkward and annoying cropping sessions, or having to use third-party apps to “Square It”, or really long framing sessions where users painstakingly try to fit everything into one Instagram post.

Android users, especially, would find it extremely troublesome to take Instagram-worthy pictures as their camera settings doesn’t come with a square shooting mode, unlike iPhones. So if you’ve always been especially OCD about keeping your feed clean, this “disability” may or may not have driven you up to wall several times.

But that’s okay! Now, you can share photos and videos in both portrait and landscape orientation on Instagram :)

Today, we’re excited to announce that – in addition to square posts – you can now share photos and videos in both portrait and landscape orientation on Instagram. Square format has been and always will be part of who we are. That said, the visual story you’re trying to tell should always come first, and we want to make it simple and fun for you to share moments just the way you want to. It turns out that nearly one in five photos or videos people post aren’t in the square format, and we know that it hasn’t been easy to share this type of content on Instagram: friends get cut out of group shots, the subject of your video feels cramped and you can’t capture the Golden Gate Bridge from end to end. Now, when choosing a photo or video, you can tap the format icon to adjust the orientation to portrait or landscape instead of square. Once you share the photo, the full-sized version of it will appear to all of your followers in feed in a beautiful, natural way. To keep the clean feel of your profile grid, your post will appear there as a center-cropped square.

And that’s not all – Instagram also said that it will keep the current feel or your profile grid by displaying photos and videos there as “center-cropped squares”. Then when you click on the individual post, the true photo will show up.

This is particularly exciting news for videos on Instagram, which in widescreen can be more cinematic than ever. On top of that, Instagram has also standardised filters for photos and videos, which used to exist separately. All filters will now work on all types of moments and you can also adjust the intensity of filters on videos too!

Of course, Star Wars had to be the first one to give the new Instagram feature a go. Check out some exclusive footage from the upcoming “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” film on Instagram in landscape mode below:

Instagram for iOS version 7.5 is available today in Apple’s App Store, and Instagram for Android version 7.5 is available today on Google Play.

Time to update and “upgrade” your photos? We think so :)

And while you’re at it, don’t forget to follow us on Instagram too!

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Nothing Says “Spoilt For Choice” More Than Astro’s 10 New Channels

Subscribed by 4.2 million households and 16 mil viewers nationwide, it’s easy to see why Astro is now the choice of over 60% of Malaysians! And now, there’s even more reason to love and be spoilt for choice by Astro – 10 reasons, in fact.

Yesterday, it was announced that Astro customers will now enjoy more choices with the launch of 10 new channels. The 10 new channels which will be available on 16th Nov 2014 will comprise 8 High Definition (HD) channels and 2 Standard Definition (SD) channels.

The new HD channels are Fox Family Movies HD (CH 434), Fox Action Movies HD (CH 430), HITS HD (CH 720), FYI HD (CH 736), Astro AEC HD (CH 306), Astro Shuang Xing HD (CH 307), DIVA HD (CH 723) and FOX HD (CH 724) while the new SD channels are ZooMoo (CH 619) and Celestial Classic Movies (CH 321).

You know what that means though, right? With the introduction of 10 new channels, Astro customers have a choice of over 180 channels that are offered within a variety of packages!

For the first time ever, Astro is also pleased to offer via video on demand, Astro Plus, comprising over a thousand hours of Hollywood movies, TV shows from the US offered in complete seasons, and shows for kids. Customers need to only get connected to the internet via their Personal Video Recorder (PVR) or Astro on the Go (AOTG) to be able to watch multiple episodes of their favourite series or shows in one go – what, when, where and how they want – be it on TV, PC, tablet or smart phone.

Astro also launched 2 new packages – Fans Pack (Value Pack 4) and Astro Super Pack Plus, both of which will provide customers more choice and value in the selections of their packages. Fans Pack at RM99 per month, will appeal to the sports fan interested in HD and watching content on the go with the best of local and Asian entertainment added in.

Astro Super Pack Plus priced from RM178 offers the new video on demand service, Astro Plus, a selection of premium packs such as Mustika, Dynasty, Astro On Demand, Astro Box Office, Maharaja and Chakravathy as well as channels such as A-List and includes access to Astro’s Listen, Read and Play digital offerings. Astro Super Pack customers will be entitled to a free preview of all Astro Super Pack Plus services and channels from 1st Dec 2014 to end February 2015!

The HD fee will also be revised from RM20 to RM25 starting 1st Dec, the first increase for HD services since HD was introduced in 2009. From 16th November 2014 to end February 2015, all Astro HD customers will enjoy a free preview of the new HD and SD channels as well as access to Astro on the Go from 1st December 2014 to end February 2015.

This, on top of Astro’s “Same Day As The US” campaign is every reason why we’d gladly be couch potatoes ;)

For more information, visit Astro’s website.


SM Entertainment Reveals EXO’s Comeback

Yesterday,  K-Pop entertainment juggernaut SM Entertainment released teaser images of both K-Pop idol boy groups EXO-K and EXO-M in a yearbook format, in what seems to be their long-awaited comeback photo shoot. The pictures, as seen above, shows all 12 EXO members dressed up in suits and ties, one with a goofy concept and the other to be taken just a little bit more seriously.

EXO fans have been waiting so, so, super long for their first full-length album, now revealed to be titled, “XOXO (Kiss&Hug)”. Imagine the collective sighs of relief coupled with mad squeals upon the official announcement!

It has also been said that all 12 of EXO’s members will promote their comeback together traveling back and forth between Korea and China – although there hasn’t been an official comeback date yet. EXO fans can, however, start looking forward to the individual teasers which will be released one by one from today (17th May 2013) onwards.

Exciting times ahead for both EXO’s fans and the “New Rising K-Pop Star” Award winners!

It’s time. EXO’s brand spanking new music video, “Wolf” from their first album, “XOXO (Kiss&Hug)” has been released, in both Mandarin and Korean:

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#FantasticBeasts: First Look At Ezra Miller As Credence Barebone

Since the release of the first “Fantastic Beasts & Where To Find Them” trailer, little is known about Ezra Miller’s character, Credence Barebone.

But thanks to Entertainment Weekly, we finally have an idea about the mysterious wizard!

In the exclusive first-look image (above), Credence Barebone and Colin Farrell’s Percival Graves, who is the Director of Magical Security in the American wizarding government, can be seen standing in an empty alley, looking somewhat suspicious.

According to Entertainment Weekly, Credence is the adopted middle child of Mary Lou Barebone (played by Samantha Morton), who is the head of the New Salem Philanthropic Society, an organisation that wants to expose and kill wizards and witches by bringing about another Salem Witch Trials. He is extremely shy and far more vulnerable than his 2 sisters, making him defenceless against his adoptive mother’s abuse. Moreover, his loneliness also makes him susceptible to the manipulation of Percival, who has taken a personal interest in him.

When asked about his character, the tight-lipped Ezra Miller wittily replied that “everything’s like CIA-level” and he swore that if he revealed anything about it, “a sniper up on the roof will take him out”.

“They told me like 2 little bits of information about the character (when I auditioned) and I just went in and went crazy, and just talked as if I were this person, who I knew nothing about. But it was funny – there actually ended up being a lot of things like what I was imagining. But getting the role was a moment of absolute ecstatic joy and sort of transcendent sense of completion. I was doing some sort of slightly epileptic dance in the street of New York City, dropping to my knees, crying, praising the heavens, with people looking at me like I should be institutionalised,” he said.

There you have it, folks! The origin of Credence Barebone is solved, for now.

To see him in action, make sure to watch “Fantastic Beasts & Where To Find Them”, which is slated for release on 18th November 2016.

For more information, visit the film’s Facebook page.


Chris Pratt Upset Over James Gunn’s Firing; Talks Guardian’s Future

It’s been 16 days since Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, and the other key members from the “Guardians of the Galaxy” franchise family wrote a joint open letter. The request was simple – to have James Gunn reinstated as director for the 3rd instalment.

For the most part, Pratt has refrained from personally addressing the issue head on. Until now.

In speaking with Associated Press, the 39-year-old actor said:

“It’s not an easy time. We all love James and he’s a good friend of ours, but we also really love playing the Guardians of the Galaxy. It’s a complicated situation for everybody. And you know, we just want to move forward and do what’s right and be the best people we can be.

“I love going to Comic-Con but I ended up not doing a lot of interviews around that time just because it was so shocking. All I know is we put a lot of time, thought and effort into the statement that we released about it. And I think we all kind of want that statement to be essentially what we have to say about it. And we were pretty clear and honest about how we feel.”

'IT'S NOT AN EASY TIME': #ChrisPratt says "it's a complicated situation” as he and the rest of the #GuardiansoftheGalaxy cast look to the future of the franchise after Disney fired writer-director #JamesGunn pic.twitter.com/PpSVVqvc48

— AP Entertainment (@APEntertainment) August 15, 2018

The future of “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3”, which Gunn was supposed to write and direct, remains unclear. Recent reports claim that Marvel CEO Kevin Feige is negotiating with Disney to have Gunn involved in some capacity.

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


#Malaysia: JPJ Adds “SMS” To Car Registration Number Plates

Since introducing the series of number plates some time back, “SMS” is now the latest special plates in Malaysia. Motorists can now purchase the new numbers in the list that runs from SMS 1 to SMS 9999.

“SMS” joins the list of unique vehicle number plates such as “RIMAU”, “PERFECT”, “NAAM”, “VIP”, and “GT” from 2016 as well as the “PATRIOT” plate from 2015. According to reports, the “SMS” plates is to celebrate the Sultan of Kedah’s 2-term reign as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong. It was also to honour Sultan Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah via his initials of the number plate.

Back in May, Kwong Wah reported that the SMS 30 plate was bidded by Datuk Sri Chiau of Chin Hin Group Berhad for a whopping RM55,000. The proceeds were then paid to the Yayasan Sultanah Bahiyah (YSB) foundation in support of their charity cause.

Would you splurge for a “SMS” number plate?


Raising The Bar Festival 2013 At KLPAC

“Raising The Bar Festival 2013” is all about championing independent hip hop in Malaysia. Organized by Raising The Bar and presented by Homegrown Productions and Tune Talk, the festival brings together not only the ever-growing local hip hop community together but also festival-savvy and music fans alike.

Keeping true to what Raising The Bar has always stood for since its creation in 2010, RTB Fest will have a special focus on Malaysian hip hop acts to highlight our very own homegrown talents with supporting acts from South East Asean regions and international acts.

Besides live performances and DJ sets, there will also be a mini streetwear bazaar showcasing some of Malaysia’s up-and-coming streetwear labels, hip hop talks/workshops, community collaborations and a hip hop archive exhibit.

For the full festival line-up, click! You could also hit up their Facebook page for more festival updates.


Hype OnSite: No One Does It Better Than You Me At Six

It’s official – You Me At Six isn’t just a talented band, each band member is super HOT too! *drools!!!

You Me At Six may have first gained recognition in 2008 with their debut album Take Off Your Colours but it was only about a year over since the British rock band established themselves as a band. And clearly, they’re a band that is more than ready to take it to the next level of headlining shows.

Hands down, one the most good looking bands ever, the ridiculously talented and highly energetic band, You Me At Six performed live for the first time ever in Kuala Lumpur last night (2nd September).

The night began in good fashion with local band Tres Empre serving as the opening act for the night.

You Me At Six came on at around 8.30pm and with their latest album, Cavalier Youth, scoring a well-deserved number one in the UK Charts, it was only fitting that the opening tracks of the night were from it. “Too Young to Feel this Old” and “Fresh Start Fever” got fans jumping and singing along with full on energy and enthusiasm.

Frontman Josh Franceschi then got the crowd eating out of the palm of his hands by taking them on a trip down memory lane with singles “Stay With Me” and “Underdog”. At this point, it became increasingly difficult to not fall in love with them.

Mid set, the band paused to get the crowd down on their knees and back on to their feet when Franceschi screamed “Lompat!!” (jump when translated in English).

The band performed for a good hour and a half and even played 2 encore songs leaving their Malaysian fans feeling fully satisfied.

You Me At Six put on a highly energetic and spectacular show here in Kuala Lumpur and we are already looking forward to seeing them again!

P.S. We are totes crushing on guitarist Max Heyler and drummer Dan Flint. *fangirl moment!!!*

Check out the gallery below for pictures from the night.

More photos available here. Special thanks to our friends from Livescape Asia for extending the invite!

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Shear Madness: So Whodunit?

One of the customers in Tomy Gun’s Shear Madness Hair & Beauty Salon, has murdered Isabel Fernandez, Malaysia’s most famous pianist! But who? You and the rest of the audience have been watching them all come and go, getting their hair washed or cut. And you know one of them as to be the murderer. You think you know who did it? Great.

So, you get to question the cast of suspects – all customers in Tomy’s hairdressing salon. In fact, Tomy (played by Qahar) is a prime suspect, as is the beautician, Chanel (played by Marina Tan). As are the other 4 customers! 6 of them! So whodunit?

Show director Richard Harding Gardner said:

It’s basically a live version of Law & Order or CSI. Shear Madness was originally created to train managers. When I first saw Shear Madness at The Kennedy Center, Washington DC, I was amazed at just how observant the audience was! Stuff that I had missed, someone, somewhere in the audience pounced on it! Come and see if you can work out whodunit! But I’ll give you a clue… it’s not the same person every night!

Don’t miss Malaysia’s finest in Shear Madness – Phoon Chi Ho, Qahar Aqilah, Marina Tan, Junji Delfino, Na’a Murad, and Alfred Loh.

Date: 26th Nov – 7th December 2014
 Time: Wed – Fri @ 8.30pm; Sat 3pm & 8.30pm; Sun 3pm & 7pm
 Venue: PJ Live Arts, Jaya One
 Ticketing: Go here for more information

For more information, visit Gardner & Wife Theatre’s website.


“Kingsman 3” Release Date Revealed, Matthew Vaughn Returns To Helm & Pen

The 3rd installment of British action spy comedy “Kingsman” is now in production with director Matthew Vaughn returning to write and direct.

Fox has announced that the threequel will be opening on 8th November 2019 in North America, completing the trilogy as originally intended by Vaughn.

The holy trinity has been confirmed. Fox's UNTITLED KINGSMAN MOVIE drops Nov. 8, 2019. And yes, Matthew Vaughn returns to write and direct.

— Exhibitor Relations Co. (@ERCboxoffice) September 21, 2018

Last year, Vaughn has told Empire Magazine that he already had a “big idea” cooked up for the 3rd movie which will serve as “the conclusion of the Harry Hart-Eggsy relationship.”

It is expected that the cast from the sequel “Kingsman: The Golden Circle” will reprise their roles in the 3rd entry, especially leading cast Taron Egerton and Colin Firth.

Based on Dave Gibbons and Mark Millar’s’ comic book series, the 1st and 2nd “Kingsman” movies were massive success, grossing over $400 million worldwide.


“Thor: Love & Thunder” Postponed In Malaysia Due To LGBT Scenes?

EVERYONE LISTEN UP! We have a very important announcement from GSC Cinemas regarding the “Thor: Love And Thunder” movie! Looks like the release date for the movie has been postponed *cue weh weh wehhhh sound effect*. HELLO CANNOT!

It was originally supposed to be released on the 7th of July, 2022. But it is instead coming out 2 weeks later. The new release date now falls on 21st July 2022. But according to the post from GSC Cinemas, those who’ve bought tickets in advance will be fully refunded within 14 working days.

So far it seems like Malaysia is the only country to postpone “Thor: Love & Thunder”. While local netizens are suggesting if it’s because of how well “Mat Kilau” is currently doing in cinemas, we don’t think that’s the case. Why would Disney Malaysia shove back a Marvel blockbuster for “Mat Kilau”? To quote our colleague, it just doesn’t make sense from a business standpoint.

If we were to guess, it might be due to certain LGBT scenes in “Thor: Love & Thunder”. Tessa Thompson recently told Yahoo Entertainment in an interview that Valkyrie’s sexuality “was a major point of discussion” with filmmaker Taika Waititi. “We talked about it a lot, because I think rightfully there’s this real want in audiences to see characters be very clearly queer or LGBTQIA inside these spaces. And I think it’s hugely important to have representation,” she said.

The queer actress added, “And also as humans I think that we are not defined by our sexuality, and by who we love. And so sometimes I think to hang a narrative completely on that is a way of actually diminishing the humanity of the character. Because you don’t allow them to be anything else.”

We’re not sure if “Thor: Love & Thunder” is being postponed in order for some scenes to be removed, but we know this much – it’s going to be hard to avoid spoilers for 2 whole weeks!

We have real bad news, people. Thor: Love and Thunder has been postponed indefinitely. We know, we are just as horrified as you are. GSC updated fans on the movie’s status an hour ago today, claiming that Disney had officially declared the release of Thor: Love and Thunder in Malaysia as “TBA”. Currently, they are awaiting more updates from Disney. Well, keep your fingers crossed! Hopefully, we’ll still get to watch the long awaited film in cinemas.

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(Video) Sheila Majid & Daughter Kayda Aziz’s New Collab Song Will Make You Hungry

When you think of festive occasions such as Hari Raya, Merdeka or even weddings, rendang would be one of the main dish to be served during these celebrations as it is a dish traditionally served at Malay celebrations that has also become popular among Malaysians of other ethnicities.

Now get ready to be blown away as Mamee Chef invites you to savour the authentic and legendary taste of rendang anytime you want in its all-new conveniently packed Mi Goreng Rendang Legenda. That’s not all, it was also announced that the brand ambassador for the new legendary product is none other than the legendary Dato’ Sheila Majid!

“Rendang is a definite favourite in my family – my mother would often make this signature dish during celebrations, and we would all get together and catch up over a feast! With Mamee Chef Mi Goreng Rendang Legenda, my family and I can indulge in the rich aroma of authentic rendang, without having to wait for festivities or special occasions!” shared Dato’ Sheila.

The inspiration for the name, Mamee Chef Mi Goreng Rendang Legenda came from the singer’s iconic song “Legenda” and according to the brand, the dish resonates with her originality and authenticity in terms of its taste. To celebrate the legendary launch of Mamee Chef Mi Goreng Rendang Legenda, the Malaysian Queen of Jazz and her daughter, hip-hop singer Kayda Aziz, have released a brand-new song titled, “Kenikmatan Legenda”.

Just like the newly launched instant noodles snack, the song was also inspired by the legend’s song “Legenda”. The jingle incorporated lyrics and melodies from her hit giving it that sense of nostalgia while giving it an upbeat tempo and a modern twist by adding rap lyrics sung by Kayda Aziz, perfectly capturing the concept of Mamee Chef Mi Goreng Rendang Legenda.

A post shared by Hype Malaysia (@hypemy)

At the launch event, Dato Sheila Majid treated attendants by singing the chorus to her and her daughter’s new tune “Kenikmatan Legenda” and needless to say, hearts were melted, and knees were weak after hearing the legend’s amazing vocals.

For your information, Mamee Chef Mi Goreng Rendang Legenda is now available at hypermarkets and supermarkets nationwide, as well as online via Mamee’s Official Stores on Lazada and Shopee.

Watch the music video for “Kenikmatan Legenda” here:


5 Sustainable Ecotourism Alternatives In Malaysia For Wanderlust Seekers

When it comes to vacation or going for a holiday, the first thing that pops into mind is the food hunting ‘Must Visit’ list followed by the ‘Insta-Worthy’ spot for best photo opportunities. Pintasan Saloma and Penang Street Art can be considered as amongst the most popular background today. But for the adventurous travellers, professional photographer and wanderlust seeker, Ecotourism is the answer. Imagine taking a break from the hustle and bustle of life while still keeping the balance biodiversity conservation and community needs, enabling sustainable utilisation of the community resource base, and also empower local communities by improving their sense of ownership over the use of natural resources.

As per defined by The International Ecotourism Society, Ecotourism is a “responsible travel to natural areas that conserve the environment, sustains the well-being of the local people and involves interpretation and education”. Living in Malaysia, there is an abundance of Ecotourism spots. Perhaps once it’s safe to travel you can explore these suggestions:

1. Explore the Mulu Caves National Park, Sarawak

The Mulu Caves, located in Gunung Mulu National Park on the island of Borneo, Sarawak is home to the world’s largest cave chamber (Sarawak Chamber) by surface area as well as one of the largest cave passages on Earth (Deer Cave). This cave is one of the iconic UNESCO World Heritage Site and caves are the signature of Mulu.

Situated at the northwestern tip of Pahang. This famous hill and noted for its cold weather has been the oldest tourist spot in Malaysia. Cameron Highlands is well-known for its agricultural produce due to the low humidity and cool climate. Apart from its tea estates and strawberry orchard, Cameron Highlands also preserves the beautiful creation of Mother Nature that looks like “The Land of The Hobbits” that is the mysterious Mossy Forest of Coral Hill.

3. Swim with sea turtles at Perhentian Island, Terengganu

For those who like sunbathing by the beach and swimming with Sea Turtles, Perhentian Island should be your ultimate choice. The Perhentian Islands are located in the Besut District, Terengganu excluding the two main islands of Perhentian Besar and Perhentian Kecil, there are five more islands in the archipelago. All the five islands are uninhabited and viewed as a paradise for many snorkelling and scuba diving enthusiasts. There are also amazing sandy beaches located such as those on Rawa, Serengeh and Tokong Burung islands.

4&5. Sunway Theme Parks – Sunway Lagoon and Sunway Lost World Of Tambun

You may be puzzled as to why these two premier Malaysia theme parks made it into this list. Believe it or not, these two award winning theme parks are one of the Ecotourism spots that actively ensure that the Sustainable Development Goals are achieved by the year 2030.

Spent time with family at Sunway Lagoon, Selangor

A crowd puller since its opening in 1992, is one of the largest and most celebrated theme parks in the country with an ever expanding number of attractions catered to all ages. Sprawling over 88 acres, it is the first theme park entertainment built 150 feet below ground level on a tin mining wasteland. To ensure sustainability of the ex-mining pond at Sunway Lagoon, an extensive study was conducted in 2010 and a “Clean-Flo’ system was introduced to reverse the degradation or the pond turning into a eutrophic state.

Sunway Lagoon constructed a home for its Gibbons on a man-made island named “Upcycled Floating Island”. The island was built using recycled waste material such as styrofoam, plastic bottles and chlorine drums. Its unique floating feature requires the park’s zookeepers to travel by boat to tend to the gibbons.

In 2019, Sunway Lagoon established its “No Single-Use Plastic Policy” and has since moved away from single-use plastic towards protecting the ocean and the life within. This theme park also has made some effort to reduce waste to landfill by separating the recyclable items from general waste. Existing waste bins around the park were refurbished and converted to pairs of green bins for aluminium cans and plastic bottles and yellow bins for general waste. This move was taken to educate visitors when they visit the park.

Dip in the natural hot springs at Sunway Lost World Of Tambun, Perak

Unlike any other theme park, Sunway Lost World Of Tambun offers the opportunity for you to rejuvenate yourself in the natural underground hot springs water at any given time from day until night. Surplus hot springs water are harvested and allowed to cool down in the tanks before redirecting it to the Water Park.

Aside from that, preserved caves big and small within the expansive park, contained wonderland that is cocooned by lush tropical jungles and breathtaking limestones featuring 260 million years of age and diversify attraction making it the ultimate getaway for a unique eco-adventure excursion for visitors of all ages. Here, you can have a staycation with your family at Lost World Glamping.

Similar to the ecotourism motive, Staycation is a holiday spent in one’s home country rather than abroad, or one spent at home and involving day trips to local attractions. This concept of vacation can potentially cause less environmental harm as less fuel is spent and it can generate economics welfare in a local and national level by positively and significantly affecting different components of expenditure in a household budget. This will help in community development by providing the alternate source of livelihood to local communities which is more sustainable. Many view ecotourism as a viable way to protect the natural environment and create social and economic benefits for local communities. Traveling allows you to see that the world is not always about you.

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5 Marvel Characters That The MCU Has Totally Ruined

When it comes to cinematic adaptations of comic books, there are bound to be some creative liberties taken. Christopher Nolan’s take on Batman and Gotham is one of the most prominent examples, with his refreshingly grounded take on the Dark Knight’s mythos. As much as the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has been known for paying homage to its literary source material, much to the delight of fans, there have been some significant changes of its own.

One thing both fans and critics can agree on is that the MCU did a fantastic job of fleshing out villains like Loki, Thanos, Baron Zemo and Killmonger by tweaking their origins. Making them some of the most iconic and complex characters we’ve seen in comic-book film history. However, we’re not here to talk about them. Oh no, we’re here to discuss the Marvel characters they’ve utterly butchered!

Whether it’s mangling their comic book origins, turning them into dull goons or just making them into complete jokes, here are the characters that the MCU have ruined.

We’re kicking off our list with the MCU’s latest film, “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania”. The Mechanised Organism Designed Only for Killing (MODOK) was never going to get the full sexy makeover in the MCU. We understand that in the comics he looked ridiculous and in live-action, he was always going to look a little silly. That being said, MODOK was at the very least a highly competent and dangerous evil genius who was capable of creating weapons of mass destruction and leading armies. Here, though, he’s been reduced from a quirky, dramatic villain to being a ridiculous punching bag for both heroes and Kang, and in a rather mean-spirited way too.

There is no reason whatsoever for MODOK to be introduced in “Quantumania” beyond the idea of having Corey Stoll’s Darren Cross acting as a source of comic relief. He doesn’t even meet Kang in the comics! The most egregious crime here is the abysmally bad CGI used to bring him to life. He looks more like Mr. Electric from “The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl in 3-D” than he does his actual comic-book counterpart. Now, some people online would argue that this was all done in the name of fun, but we can’t help but think this a waste of a potential solo villain and a lazy way to set up a twist for Darren Cross’ return.

Anyone who has ever read Marvel comics would know Anthony “Tony” Masters, better known as Taskmaster, to be a rather unhinged, chatty mercenary. Not quite on the same level as Deadpool but still a relatively fun guy to have a drink with and someone you definitely want on your side in a fight. So when we saw Taskmaster appearing in the marketing for “Black Widow”, we were excited! Not only were we finally getting a proper solo adventure with the MCU’s most famous assassin but we’ll also get to see her go up against one of Marvel’s greatest combatants. A martial arts chameleon and a cold-blooded killer.

There’s just one problem…they turned Taskmaster into a mute, dull lackey of the uninspired General Dreykov. Sure you kept Taskmaster’s ability to mimic the fighting styles of Captain America, Hawkeye and Black Panther but you took away the best part of the character: their personality. The reason why Taskmaster is so interesting in the comics is that his ability to replicate other people’s fighting styles affects his memory and mental state. It would have been interesting to see Taskmaster spot witty banter with Natasha Romanoff as they cross swords and bullets. Sadly, we’ll never get that now.

Yet another example of a terrific Marvel character being reduced to the role of super-henchman is the lacklustre introduction of Thanos’ fanatical, death-worshipping servant, Corvus Glaive into the MCU. He is the leader of the Black Order and Thanos’ second-in-command over his armies. First introduced in Jonathan Hickman’s “Infinity” comic book event, Corvus Glaive made an immense impression on readers with his threat to the King of the Inhumans, Black Bolt. With cruel glee and unwavering fervour, he demands that all Inhumans between the ages of sixteen to twenty-two years old be given to him. When asked by the Inhuman queen what they could offer him he chillingly responds “Only their heads”.

Throughout the universe, Corvus Glaive and his comrades have carved a bloody path in the name of their lord. He’s like something out of a horror story come alive. Unfortunately in “Avengers: Infinity War” and “Avengers: Endgame”, this absolutely monster becomes indistinguishable from the many, many mindless grunts thrown against our heroes. Thankfully Ebony Maw gets a little more care but we would have loved to have seen Corvus Glaive and his fanatics descend upon a world to demand tribute. Instead, all he’s known for is saying “But sire, our troops.” in online memes. What a shame.

Before Taika Waititi’s “Thor: Ragnarok”, Chris Hemsworth’s Thor Odinson was a bit of a stiff neck. He said his lines in ye olde English and threw his hammer. “Ragnarok” showed not only his fun-loving side but also his commitment to his people. Then in “Avengers: Infinity War”, we saw a grief-stricken Thor hellbent on vengeance. In spite of his revenge arc, we still managed to have some light moments with him and the Guardians of the Galaxy. That was Thor at his absolute peak. In “Avengers: Endgame” though…they made him fat and sad. Don’t get us wrong, he did get some badass scenes here and there but the whole Fat Thor schtick wore out thin after a while.

Oh, but the final nail in the coffin was what Taika Waititi did to Thor in “Thor: Love and Thunder”. They massacred our boy! It felt like every five seconds, Thor had to make some stupid quip or joke to add levity to the film. By the end of it all, Thor barely made any impression on us as a character as the film sped at lightning speed to one gag after another. Until he’s given a proper character arc again, Thor is ruined until further notice.

Yes, we’re still sore about that! In Marvel comics, the Illuminati is a secret cabal represented by some of the greatest minds and powerful beings in the universe. The group included the likes of Professor Charles Xavier, Black Bolt, Doctor Strange, Namor, Reed Richards, Captain America and Iron Man. We knew that we weren’t getting the original roster for the Illuminati but we were still excited to see some version of this legendary team brought to the big screen. And what did you do with them? You had them all taken out like they were B-grade Avenger trainees!

Black Bolt unceremoniously blew his own head up. Reed Richards idiotically tried to wrap himself around Scarlet Witch and got turned into spaghetti. Captain Carter and Maria Rambeau as Captain Marvel put up a bit more of a fight but they were still taken out with relative ease. Oh and sweet, sweet Professor X, arguably the greatest telepath in the entire Marvel universe basically got sucker punched psychically and died. Of all of the iconic powerhouses the MCU have nerfed in the name of a joke or twist in the last few years, the Illuminati has got to be the worst one we’ve seen thus far.


(NSFW) #KPop: Indecent Exposures & Raunchy Dance Moves – Enough Is Enough?

In the early 2000s, South Korean singer Rain (Bi) started adding the “shirt-ripping stunt” to his performances and fan girls couldn’t stop screaming, “Lord please have mercy on our hormones!” He then quickly became the sexiest man in the K-Pop industry.

But when did the idea of “sexy” started to sell in the K-Pop industry? Many fans are worried that the direction of K-Pop is going from sexy to raunchy, especially among the girl groups.

A video on 9gag titled “22 K-Pop Dances Banned For Being Too Sexy” has gathered over 3 million views and songs such as Hello Venus’ “Wiggle Wiggle”, Hyomin of T-ARA’s “Nice Body”, EXID’s “Up & Down”, and Dal-Shabet’s “Joker” were banned from Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) for their overly sexual dance movements.

The controversy doesn’t stop there. Idol girl groups’ “wardrobe malfunctions” have also gotten much unwanted (or wanted?) buzz on the internet.

Last year, Girl’s Day leader Sojin and Bambino member Hadam were involved in the most controversial wardrobe malfunctions of 2015. Both singers were seen wearing extremely short shorts that were no way made for dancing on stage. The girls didn’t look like they were wearing any safety shorts either, which made it worse for them. As such, they were heavily criticised by netizens for intentionally using their sexuality as a scheme for media play.

The “sex” concept is also a great marketing strategy used by entertainment agencies.

Sexy girl group Stellar gained fame for their provocation wardrobe and erotic choreography in “Marionette”, that was released in 2014. In an interview in 2015, the girls opened up about why they had no choice but to use sexiness for fame. The girls also mentioned that during their early years (they actually debuted in 2011), they tried various concepts but failed to gain any acknowledgement.

“It (the sexy concept) turned out really well for us. We got tons of love calls for various event performances and our negative (bank) balance became positive. We also got a car and a dorm. We also got a practice room that we could use all we wanted,” said member Gayoung when asked about the success of “Marionette”.

On the other hand, we wonder why male stars do not get as much criticism for their provocative moves. Idol boy bands like 2PM and MBLAQ has been thrusting their hips as much as any other girl groups.

We are not trying to sound all feminist here, but why is it alright for male singers to show off their body and sexy dance moves?

Then again, the American industry is filled with overly sexualised concepts. Female artistes like Nicki Minaj, Shakira, and Beyoncé have flaunted their bodies for years and people think that it’s “normal”.

In conclusion, sex does sell, and it’s selling really well. But what what we want to know is, who gets to determine what “enough” is? The government? The broadcasting studios? Or the fans?

Are we being too conservative or do you think that celebrities go too far at times? Feel free to share your thoughts with us and discuss ’em in the comments box below.

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Coronavirus: Government To Temporarily Suspend Immigration Facilities From Wuhan & Hubei

The government has decided to temporarily suspend all immigration facilities from China – especially those from Wuhan as well as the Hubei Province.

The announcement was made via an official press statement that was uploaded by our Prime Minister, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad on his Twitter account. Feel free to read it here:

Kerajaan juga ingin mengingatkan kepada semua pihak agar tidak menyebarkan maklumat yang tidak sah atau palsu berkenaan novel koronavirus ini yang boleh menyebabkan ketidaktenteraman kepada masyarakat umum.

— Dr Mahathir Mohamad (@chedetofficial) January 27, 2020

Additionally, Tun M reminded everyone to not spread any invalid news surrounding the recent Wuhan coronavirus outbreak. This is because such false reports might bring discomfort among the local community.

In response, a number of netizens have expressed their excitement and relief upon hearing the latest news. However, there are some who still feel dissatisfied and argued that the government should have banned the whole mainland instead. Check out some of their reactions here:

Based on the lengthy statement above, the immigration facility will be “reinstated” once the situation has fully recovered from the outbreak. In the meantime, please stay safe, guys!


#AirAsia: Low-Cost Airline Warns Of “268 FREE Air Asia Tickets” Scam

If you’ve been seeing a “Get 2 of 268 FREE Air Asia Tickets on their 28th Anniversary!” post being rampantly shared by your friends on Facebook, be warned.

The post, which is linked to a www.airasia.com-2017-givea.us URL, leads to an online survey. Participants are required to answer several questions e.g. “Have you ever traveled with us?”, “Have you ever been dissatisfied by the services of Air Asia?” before claiming that said participant has won 2 free AirAsia tickets.

Then, the winner will be asked to share the page on his/her Facebook with the caption, “Thanks for my Tickets #AirAsia!” Which is all sorts of odd, by the way.

For the sake of easy, Google-able validation, we’re just going to put it out there that AirAsia just celebrated their 15th anniversary recently. So it’s for sure that the www.airasia.com-2017-givea.us URL is a scam.

AirAsia has also responded to netizens who have flagged them about the scam in the comments section of their Facebook page, saying, “Thanks for highlighting. We would like to confirm that this is a scam and AirAsia is not affiliated with it in any way. Hope this clarifies, thanks.”

“We would like to once again reiterate that it does not enlist third party services in organizing activities and any announcements are made via official channels such as credible mass media and our official social media channels at all times,” AirAsia replied another Facebook user.


Nigerians Protest Over The Death Of Nigerian PhD Holder In Malaysia

Nigerians have stepped out to protest at the embassy in Malaysia after a Nigerian business man who is taking his PhD in Malaysia died in a deportation camp after an unfair arrest.

Thomas Orhionsefe Ewansiha, a father of two was wrongfully arrested by Malaysian immigration officers during a recent raid in Amapuri and was taken to a deportation camp in Jalan Duta, despite having valid documents to justify his stay in Malaysia.

“Our brother a phd holder in Malaysia who is valid in Malaysia died couple of days ago in Malaysian lockup and Nigerian embassy refused to listen to the complainant of our representatives. Oh my God what is happening to our nation” pic.twitter.com/KIj8rzSjuV

Another Nigerian PHD Student Died in Malaysia Immigration Custody. @segalink @adeyanjudeji pic.twitter.com/BkgQ4nQ9rq

Thomas reportedly died in the immigration detention camp while the officers were verifying his paper ahead of his release. It is said that though he had a valid visa, he didn’t have his passport, just his ID. He was locked up for 2 weeks at the camp.

The incident has led to a protest at the Nigerian embassy in Malaysia. Nigerians have since come out to denounce his death and called on the Nigerian embassy to look into the case.

Nigerian Embassy, Jalan Ampang Hilir, KL. happening now. pic.twitter.com/MfINgBTKja

— alwinhimself (@alwinhimself) July 11, 2019

A post shared by Daddy Showkey🇳🇬(BABA HIMSELF) (@daddyshowkey)

Veteran Nigerian musician Daddy Showkey has also responded to the incident where he revealed that this is not the first time authorities at the Nigerian embassy have failed to act on the alleged continous violation of rights of Nigerians in Malaysia.

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#GDA Artiste Profile: F.T. Island

For the longest time, we were wondering, “What in the world is Five Treasure Island?”. Five. Treasure. Choi Jong-hoon, Lee Hongki, Lee Jae-jin, Song Seung-hyun, and Choi Min-hwan. Five teenagers who were “branded” to be “five treasures”. Also known as F.T. Island!

In 2007, the South Korean pop/rock band released their debut album, “Cheerful Sensibility”. The title track off that album, “Lovesick”, topped the K-Pop charts for eight consecutive weeks. It took the Korean music industry by storm and shortly after its release, “Cheerful Sensibility” went on to sell 79,000 copies, making it the sixth best-selling album of 2007. In December 2007, the album was re-released with three extra songs, a photo book, photo cards, and a mixing program called “Music 2.0”. That month alone, the re-release sold 25,724 copies.

Immediately after their debut, the band kicked off their promotional activities overseas – starting with an autograph and a meet and greet session in Malaysia. A few months after that, F.T. Island released two albums – a Japanese debut album in June 2008 and their second Korean album in August 2008. In October 2008, a follow-up EP was released. The years to come saw their “F.T. Island Tour – I Believe Myself”, the introduction of their sub group “F.T. Triple”, their “Men’s Stories” national tour, the release of five more albums (two Korean, three Japanese) and six more EPs (five Korean, one Japanese).

One of the five Korean EPs is entitled, “Grown-Up”, comprising of slow-tempo rock ballads. It was released in 2012 and made immensely popular by its title track, “Severely”. “Severely” successfully achieved an all-kill on various online music charts and by nature of all things cause and effect, “Grown-Up” completely sold out in only 10 days after its release (50,000 in sales):

[youtube id=”mZJnZD1UbA8″ width=”600″ height=”350″]

On top of that, F.T. Island is also currently in the running to bag the “Disk Album Of the Year” award for “Grown-Up” at “Samsung GALAXY The 27th Golden Disk Awards in Kuala Lumpur”!

Other facts about F.T. Island as follows:

Here’s another fact: F.T. Island is slated to make an appearance at “Samsung GALAXY The 27th Golden Disk Awards in Kuala Lumpur” (GDA) whereas Lee Hongki will be MC for the gala event, as confirmed by the GDA committee

To purchase tickets, hit up TicketPro or any of their participating outlets right now! Tickets are priced at RM999 (Samsung GALAXY Zone) and RM688 (Rockpit). We hear that tickets are going to go fast so hurry!

For more information, visit their official website.


(UPDATE) Hype’s Must Watch: X-Men: Apocalypse

2016 is guaranteed to be one helluva good year because tonnes of superhero movies such as “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice“ and “Captain America: Civil War” will be released.

One of the highly anticipated superhero films is Bryan Singer‘s “X-Men: Apocalypse“. Featuring a slew of critically acclaimed actors and some newcomers, the first official trailer for the upcoming “X-Men” movie finally made its debut online.

Singer is directing “X-Men: Apocalypse” based on a screenplay written by Simon Kinberg, Mike Dougherty, and Dan Harris.

The plot centres on Apocalypse, the first and most powerful mutant from Marvel’s X-Men universe. He was worshiped as a god since the dawn of civilisation due to his ability to collect the powers of many other mutants. Thus, he becomes immortal and invincible.

Upon awakening after thousands of years, he is disillusioned with the world as he finds it and recruits a team of powerful mutants, including a disheartened Magneto, to cleanse mankind and create a new world order, over which he will reign. As the fate of the Earth hangs in the balance, Raven with the help of Professor X must lead a team of young X-Men to stop their greatest nemesis and save mankind from complete destruction.

“X-Men: Apocalypse” will see Michael Fassbender, James McAvoy, Jennifer Lawrence, and Nicholas Hoult reprising their roles as Magneto, Professor X, Mystique, and Beast.

Additional cast includes Oscar Isaac as Apocalypse, Rose Byrne as Moira MacTaggert, Tye Sheridan as Cyclops, Sophie Turner as Jean Grey, Alexandra Shipp as Storm, Kodi Smit-McPhee as Nightcrawler, Lana Condor as Jubilee, Evan Peters as Quicksilver, and Lucas Till as Havok.

The film will reportedly be undergoing reshoots early next year. Another rumour regarding the reshoots also surfaced online, suggesting that Hugh Jackman‘s Wolverine is involved.

Check out the first “X-Men: Apocalypse” trailer below:

For more timely updates, just check out the movie’s official Facebook page or follow Bryan Singer on Instagram and Twitter!

You guys, the 3rd and final trailer of “X-Men: Apocalypse” is finally out! And wait, is that Wolverine we see?

This trailer shows us a lot: Magneto is Quicksilver’s papa (though many of you might know that already), a tiny glimpse of Magneto’s family, more tight-bodysuit goodness from Olivia Munn, a sneak peek of the Nightcrawler, and lastly, Wolverine’s appearance!

“X-Men: Apocalypse” is slated for release worldwide on 27th May 2016, but it will be released in Malaysia on 19th May 2016.

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