The Lion King is coming The Straits Times Oct 21, 2009 MUSICAL lovers rejoice. Award-winning Broadway production, The Lion King, is coming to the Marina Bay Sands Theatre. Base Entertainment and Marina Bay Sands are bringing the Disney Theatrical Group production to Singapore in September next year. The South-east Asian premiere in Singapore will be a duplicate of the other shows performing in other parts of the world, such as London and New York. It will feature a new company of performers auditioned around the world. This extended engagement will join the seven other highly successful companies of the show around the world. The Lion King is Julie Taymor's internationally acclaimed stage adaptation of Disney's 1994 animated film. It won the Tony Award for 'Best Musical', and the score features Elton John and Tim Rice's music from the animated film along with three original songs by John and Rice. Ticket prices, on-sale dates and performance schedules will be announced in 2010.
I agree with this, please people, stop being lazy and if you want high pay, work hard. Don't be a schmuck.
MM Lee begins US visit The Straits Times Oct 28, 2009 Key meetings kick off second leg of US visit By Chua Chin Hon WASHINGTON - MINISTER Mentor Lee Kuan Yew began the second leg of his US trip by calling on two key Cabinet members of the Obama administration - top diplomat Hillary Clinton and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner. Meeting Mrs Clinton at the State Department on Monday afternoon, Mr Lee said his 10-day visit came at a critical moment when the United States was looking to further engage South-east and East Asia. 'I have come at a very important moment in America,' added the Minister Mentor, who first arrived in New York last week before travelling to Washington, DC on Sunday. 'It is a time for renewal and resumption of the engagement of America, in particular in South-east Asia and East Asia. It is the part of the world that will alter the shape of the 21st century.' Agreeing, Mrs Clinton said with a laugh that they in the administration indeed 'have our work cut out for us here'. In about two weeks' time, President Barack Obama will embark on a major visit to Asia, his first since taking office, as well as attend the annual Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit in Singapore.
New mall at Marina Bay The Straits Times Oct 27, 2009 By Tessa Wong WORKER bees at Raffles Place will have more shops and restaurants to choose from next year, when a new underground mall opens at the upcoming Marina Bay Financial Centre. The Marina Bay Link Mall will feature upmarket tenants that will cater to the 62,000 working professionals and affluent residents in the immediate area. It will also connect the future Downtown MRT station to neighbouring buildings such as One Raffles Quay and the integrated resort Marina Bay Sands. The centre's managing company Raffles Quay Asset Management (RQAM) on Tuesday said the mall will also have some shops above ground, a waterfront plaza, a park for events and a restaurant perched on the 33rd floor. About 55 per cent of its 176,000 sq ft of retail space has been snapped up already. Some restaurants setting up there include seafood chain Paradise Inn and South Korean frozen yogurt chain Red Mango. Its stores are likely to be affordable mass-market luxury or 'masstige' brands, said Ms Rose Tong, RQAM's head of marketing (retail). They were unable to disclose any confirmed shop tenants as yet. ChannelNewsAsia.com 27 October 2009 1530 hrs (SST) Business at Marina Bay Financial Centre due to start in Q4 next year By S Ramesh http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporebusinessnews/view/1013983/1/.html The S$4-billion Marina Bay Financial Centre mega project is on target despite the global downturn. In a year, phase one of the Marina Bay Link Mall under the Centre will be up and running, with tenants moving into the offices above. Raffles Quay Asset Management (RQAM), who has revealed plans to make the 176,000-square-foot mall a place to "Shop, Dine and Play", said the response rate has been positive. "So far, the take up rate has been very good," said Wilson Kwong, chief executive officer of RQAM. "We are one year away from completion and we are honoured to have 45 per cent pre-commitments for phase one alone, not to mention that the office segments we have also received very good take up rates." Since no development can be complete without two favourites amongst Singaporeans - food and shopping - 40 per cent of the mall will be occupied by food and beverage shops, while the remaining will be retail outlets. The first phase of the mall is scheduled to receive its temporary occupation permit by the second quarter of next year, while the second phase will be ready by the middle of 2012. The developer of the Marina Bay Financial Centre said that on average, about 50,000 people are expected to patronise the Marina Bay Link Mall once it is completed. While it did not name the key tenants, the developer promised lifestyle brands and convenience services to cater to those who work and live there. However, RQAM said it would be difficult to avoid duplicating some of what other nearby malls in the area already offer. "You do need essential services in all the retail malls and that is common, not just in Marina Bay Link Mall but in all other malls as well," explained Kwong. "But in doing that, we made sure they are new to market concepts. But essentially, all the concepts will cater for the residences and the people working in the office towers." The mall will also be well-connected through underground pedestrian networks and the future Downtown MRT station. The Marina Bay Link Mall will feature upmarket tenants that will cater to the 62,000 working professionals and affluent residents in the immediate area. -- PHOTO: RAFFLES QUAY ASSET MANAGEMENT
Soccerex forum in S'pore The Straits Times Oct 27, 2009 Big names in sport expected to attend inaugural Soccerex convention here next July By Terrence Voon SOME of football's biggest names will meet here next year for the inaugural Soccerex Asia Forum, one of the world's largest football business conferences and exhibitions. Organised by Football Asia, a Singapore-based football business consultancy, the two-day event in July will see top international football officials and business leaders arrive for a series of networking events and seminars. Staging the event here is a coup for Singapore, which held off competition from bidders such as Abu Dhabi, Qatar and Dubai to host the forum. 'Football Asia's decision to base itself in Singapore is a testimony of Singapore's growing importance as Asia's sports industry hub,' said Mr Oon Jin Teik, chief executive officer of the Singapore Sports Council. He attended the launch of Football Asia on Monday, along with the guest of honour, Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports Vivian Balakrishnan, and former Liverpool star Phil Thompson. Mr Oon said: 'Football Asia's goal of being the catalyst for football between the East and West will create spin-offs for the region's football industry and the larger sports industry in the areas of sports sponsorship, broadcast and merchandising, among other things.' Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports Vivian Balakrishnan (right) receiving an autographed jersey from former Liverpool star Phil Thompson yesterday. With them is Football Asia CEO Jon Collins. -- ST PHOTO: MUGILAN RAJASEGERAN
'Zero energy' building up The Straits Times Oct 27, 2009 Producing as much energy as it uses, it will be a test-bed for 'green' technologies here By Gabriel Chen SINGAPORE'S first building that can produce as much power as it uses - zero energy, in industry jargon - opened with much fanfare on Monday. The landmark building in Braddell Road employs ground-breaking design features while also harnessing the sun's energy to replenish the energy it uses for air-conditioning and other uses. Its opening is a huge step forward for the local building industry. It will serve as a test-bed for green technology that can later be incorporated in standard construction projects, while students and designers can study first-hand the nuts and bolts of energy efficiency and 'green' building. National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan said the opening of the building 'marks a key milestone in Singapore's building and construction history'. The building was an existing structure that was retrofitted in an $11 million project in the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) Academy grounds opposite ComfortDelGro. The BCA joined forces with the National University of Singapore, the Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore and private sector partners to convert the old three-storey workshop. A massive array of solar panels covering 1,540sqm - bigger than an Olympic-sized swimming pool and the biggest such installation here - was placed on the roof to generate energy to run the lights, office equipment and air-conditioning. A massive array of solar panels is placed on the roof to generate energy to run the lights, office equipment and air-conditioning. -- PHOTO: BCA
Joint nations military exercise The Straits Times Oct 27, 2009 By Teh Joo Lin OFFICERS from 22 countries are in town for an exercise aimed at stopping the trafficking of weapons of mass destruction such as nuclear armaments. In the scenario that will play out over the next few days, officers will pool intelligence to track down and board a rogue 'merchant vessel'. The ship, suspected of carrying illegal materials, will be diverted to the shore for a detailed inspection. In all, about 2,000 personnel, 18 ships and eight planes from countries including Singapore, Japan and the United States are involved in the exercise, code-named Deep Sabre II. The drill is being held for the second time under a global effort - the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) - to contain the illegal export of weapons technology. At the exercise's opening ceremony at the Changi Naval Base on Tuesday morning, Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean said the initiative can be improved by expanding the network to include more countries. This was why observers from Malaysia, India and Pakistan have been invited for the exercise. Given Singapore's location along the key sea lines of communication, the Republic recognises the important role it plays against proliferation, added Mr Teo. 'We take these responsibilities seriously,' he said. The exercise ends on Friday. At the exercise's opening ceremony at the Changi Naval Base on Tuesday morning, Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean (far left) said the initiative can be improved by expanding the network to include more countries. -- ST PHOTO: CHEW SENG KIM
Joint nations military exercise At the exercise's opening ceremony at the Changi Naval Base on Tuesday morning, Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean (far left) said the initiative can be improved by expanding the network to include more countries. -- ST PHOTO: CHEW SENG KIM
MM Lee honoured in US The Straits Times Oct 28, 2009 By Chua Chin Hon WASHINGTON - A STAR-STUDDED cast of the US capital's political and business elites turned up to honour Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew on Tuesday night (Wednesday morning Singapore time) as he was awarded a lifetime achievement award for his contributions towards United States-Asean ties. Three US Presidents - Mr Barack Obama, Mr Bill Clinton, and Mr George H W Bush - sent congratulations via letters and tape-recorded messages, while two elder statesmen - former Secretaries of States Dr Henry Kissinger and Dr George Shultz - were on hand to help Mr Lee celebrate the occassion. The Minister Mentor is the first recipient of the lifetime achievement award, which the US-Asean Business Council created in conjunction with its 25th anniversary. About 450 people, decked out in tuxedos and glamorous evening dresses, attended the glamourous event at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel. Among those who paid tribute to Mr Lee were Dr Kissinger, Dr Shultz, Senator Jim Webb, and Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell. In a statement to The Straits Times, Dr Shultz said: 'Ideas, information, clarity of mind, integrity of purpose. Mr Lee Kuan Yew has all of these characteristics and many more. 'He is a truly great man who has been a wonderful friend over many years.' Elder US statesmen Dr Henry Kissinger gives Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew a hug just before Mr Lee was awarded a lifetime achievement award by the US-Asean Business Council. Behind them and on the right is Mr Rod Hills, a founder and former chairman of the US-Asean Business Council. -- PHOTO: CHUA CHIN HON
A good chance for some talk.. ..Mr. Lee should take this opportunity to speak to & remind U.S.' Treasury Secretary Timmy "Turbotax Cheat" Geitzeiziggnietzersihner to stop spending and spending and spending the U.S. budget. Tell Timmy that the rest of the world is watching and probably laughing at the way the U.S. govt. and the current WH admin. are piling up even more national debt..:crying:
Mr Obama wouldn't have chosen "Timmy" if he is not up to par (and speed as well ). These are early days yet but US's quick decision to pump up the US economy and not allow its most important institutions to go under has actually done the rest of the world a lot of good, albeit seemingly temporarily, and prevented a worldwide financial collapse, IMO. Of course opponents would say that the problem started with the US in the first place. Many economies are beginning to recover from the recession and confidence has returned somewhat. The US is setting the example for cutting down excesses on executive bonuses and payouts and putting in greater financial controls. With China itself using its vast reserves to enable its economy to grow at a relatively robust rate, there is yet hope for the US and China to work closer together to ensure greater financial stability and enable the global economy to recover faster than expected. So Timmy will continue to have a great role to play, whether we like it or not.
Hmm.. - Actually, Bush, through Henry Paulson (previous Treasury Sec.), nominated and chose "Turbotax cheat" to run the $$$ printing presses. BO kept him. - Yes, that's what i see. The rest of the world views what the U.S. is doing is beneficial to them. In reality, the U.S. will get the brunt of the massive spending now. And probably affects the rest of the world later on. Yes, no doubt, the U.S. started this whole mess with the housing sub-prime mess (yes, it's all documented in the twin "Sky is Falling" threads). - The recession is probably over but not sure abt the confidence, at least in the U.S. Cos inflation is on the horizon. What you see the U.S. is doing by applying this & that regulations (cutting down excesses on executive bonuses and payouts and putting in greater financial controls) is to put the foreign investor's faith back in the U.S.' financial system and to encourage them to invest back in the U.S. Sure, CHN and the U.S. are still going hand in hand, hippity hopping along the way. But if inflation hits the U.S., it'll effect CHN as well. - Yes, Timmy will continue to print more money. He's probably printing $$$ from his garage. ..that's my point, the rest of the world probably doesn't care as long as their economic engines are still moving...if the next bubble to burst hits the U.S., what's the world going to do??..
A shirt tale for Apec Print Article The Straits Times Oct 29, 2009 Designer's hope: Leaders will want to keep attire By Esther Teo THERE will be plenty of political and economic statements at next month's Apec meetings but the most memorable might just be the fashion one that designer Wykidd Song has planned. Fashionistas usually have to wait until the final days of the event to see what the host nation has come up with but Mr Song's eye-catching shirt with a mandarin collar was unveiled on Wednesday to rag-trade applause. Mr Song hopes the creation, which pays homage to the Peranakan culture, will find a permanent place in prime ministerial and presidential wardrobes. The fashion whizz, who co-founded the Song+Kelly label and designs under Wk Design, said that he set out to create a garment that was both comfortable and sophisticated, worn long after the Apec meetings are over. 'I never like to design something costume-like. It has to be modern, sophisticated and...forward-looking, while still retaining a certain Asian-ness in the design,' he said. The group photo has become an Apec tradition and Ms Koh Lin-Net, the chair of the Apec 2009 organising committee, wants the Singapore contribution to be different and more enduring. While the design has to reflect the culture of the host country, the organisers want to aim a bit higher as well. 'It must be so comfortable and versatile that they will wear it again... Hopefully they will take it home, think of how much they liked it and of the great memories here and take it out on some other occasion,' said Ms Koh. Mr Song hopes the creation, which pays homage to the Peranakan culture, will find a permanent place in prime ministerial and presidential wardrobes. -- ST PHOTO: TERENCE TAN
MM Lee: US key in East Asia The Straits Times Oct 29, 2009 America is needed in any new framework, to strike a balance in the region By Chua Chin Hon , Tracy Quek WASHINGTON - THE United States must be an important part of any new East Asian framework, Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew said on Wednesday, cautioning against defining the region in closed or racial terms. At a gala dinner where he was conferred a lifetime achievement award for fostering US-Asean ties, he said that the US would remain the sole superpower for two or three more decades despite the fallout from last year's global crisis. While China may be rapidly gaining economic and geopolitical clout, Beijing is neither willing nor ready to take on equal responsibility for managing the international system. Therefore, the US should not be shut out of any new East Asian architecture, Mr Lee said. 'It would be a serious mistake for the region to define East Asia in closed, or worse, in racial terms,' he told about 450 political and business elites at the Mandarin Oriental hotel. Leaders in the region have been mulling over the prospects of a new framework or architecture to better define their strategic concerns. Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, for instance, has been pushing the idea of an Asia-Pacific community. More recently, Japanese Premier Yukio Hatoyama has offered a rival plan for an East Asian community. There have been concerns that the US might be sidelined in these new regional frameworks, though some say such plans are too sketchy on details to be assessed properly. MM Lee was also awarded a lifetime achievement award. Mr Lee said that the US must be an important part of any new East Asian framework. -- ST PHOTO: CHUA CHIN HON
MM Lee meets Obama The Straits Times Oct 30, 2009 By Chua Chin Hon WASHINGTON - MINISTER Mentor Lee Kuan Yew capped a series of meetings with top US leaders by calling on President Barack Obama at the White House on Thursday (1.45pm US time, 1.45am on Friday Singapore time). The meeting at the Oval Office was the first between the two leaders, and lasted for about 45 minutes. In his introductory remarks, Mr Obama described Mr Lee as 'one of the legendary figures of Asia in the 20th and 21st centuries (and) somebody who helped to trigger the Asian economic miracle'. The US leader added: 'Singapore has been an outstanding friend and ally of the United States for many, many years, and so I am very much looking forward to the opportunity to hearing from the Minister Mentor his views on the evolving situation in Asia, as I prepare for my upcoming trip both to Singapore and to other key nations in the region.' In about two weeks, Mr Obama will embark on his first major visit to Asia as President, stopping in major cities like Tokyo, Singapore, Beijing, Shanghai and Seoul. In Singapore, he will attend the annual Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit as well as the inaugural US-Asean summit. Mr Lee thanked Mr Obama for the warm welcome, saying: 'I'm especially privileged to see you at a time of renewal and change in America, and during a period of transition where the world order is changing. I look forward to hearing your views on how you see the world evolving and America's role in it, which is crucial to the stability and prosperity of East Asia.' The meeting at the Oval Office was the first between the two leaders, and lasted for about 45 minutes. -- PHOTO: CHUA CHIN HON
Singapore University of Technology and Design (SU) - Uni focus on design & tech The Straits Times Oct 30, 2009 Thomas Magnanti named president; classes will be small for better interaction By Amelia Tan THE fourth university here will be named the Singapore University of Technology and Design, or SU for short, and will take in the best and brightest students in the country and region when it opens in 2011. It will start small, with a cohort of up to 500 undergraduates for the first three years, but this will gradually be increased until it reaches 4,000 undergraduates and 2,000 graduate students. SU's president will be the former engineering dean at the world-renowned Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Professor Thomas Magnanti, 64. Prof Magnanti is familiar with Singapore, having taught with the Singapore-MIT Alliance in the late 1990s. He was also the director of the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (Smart) Centre. He will head SU for a three-year term, during which he will be on leave from MIT. The university will offer four degree programmes: Architecture and sustainable design, engineering and product design, engineering systems and system design, and information engineering and design. All will be four-year courses. As their tentative names imply, design will be a common element taught in all four courses. Learning will be inter-disciplinary, collaborative and hands-on. Students will be grounded in knowledge in maths and science as well as social sciences and humanities, and will also collaborate on projects with undergrads who are taking the other courses. Professor Thomas Magnanti, former engineering dean at the world-renowned Massachusetts Institute of Technology, will head the Singapore University of Technology and Design for three years, during which he will be on leave from MIT. He plans to recruit 50 faculty members, both local and international, by the time the university opens at an interim campus in 2011. -- ST PHOTO: JOYCE FANG
A 'S'pore Showcase' in Paris The Straits Times Oct 29, 2009 NEXT October, Parisians will be able to gain a better understanding of Singapore culture. A 'Singapore Showcase', which aims to showcase the vibrancy and diversity of Singapore's art and culture, will be held at the Musee du quai Branly (MQB) in 2010. The exhibition will take place from Oct 4, 2010 to Jan 23, 2011, and will be anchored by two key components: a Peranakan exhibition and a mini arts festival. Specific details of the showcase will be developed after further bilateral discussions next month. The 'Singapore Showcase' comes as Singapore and France seek ways to promote greater cultural cooperation under the aegis of a Cultural Agreement signed between the two countries at the start of the year. Acting Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts, Mr Lui Tuck Yew (far left), is currently on a three-day visit to Paris to attend the inaugural France-Singapore Forum (FSF).
IMF lifts Singapore forecasts Oct 29, 2009 SEOUL - THE International Monetary Fund on Thursday upgraded its economic growth forecasts for Singapore for this year and 2010 from previous projections announced at the start of this month. The IMF forecast in its regional economic outlook report, released in Seoul, that Singapore's gross domestic product would expand by 4.3 per cent in 2010 after contracting by 1.7 per cent this year. It had predicted in its world economic outlook report, released on Oct 1, that Singapore's economy would grow 4.1 per cent in 2010 after shrinking by 3.3 per cent this year. The Singapore government has forecast the economy would contract by between 2 per cent and 2.5 per cent this year. The IMF neither changed forecasts for other economies in the region from those announced previously nor elaborated on the upgraded forecasts for Singapore. -- THOMSON REUTERS The Singapore government has forecast the economy would contract by between 2 per cent and 2.5 per cent this year. -- ST PHOTO: SAMUEL HE
Musical "Victor/Victoria' in Asia for 1st time The Straits Times Oct 29, 2009 SINGAPORE - A SINGAPORE theatre company is staging 'Victor/Victoria' for the first time in Asia, more than a decade after it left Broadway and with jazz singer Laura Fygi in the role that actress Julie Andrews made famous. The musical comedy, written by Blake Edwards and set to the music of the legendary Henry Mancini, opens in Singapore on Nov 9 and is the latest in a handful of Broadway productions to be staged in the Southeast Asian country. Loretta Chen, the artistic director of local production company Zebra Crossing, said 'Victor/Victoria' was an ex-Broadway play with a difference. 'We wanted to really show that Singapore has talent, that Asia has talent, so instead of bringing in a Broadway show wholesale, with a totally foreign cast, we bought the rights and incorporated local and Asian talent. We felt that across Asia, there's a desire for adult musicals. In Singapore, two in five people watch theatre, and musicals are their top choice. And we want to show that Asians can make their mark,' she added. 'Victor/Victoria' tells the story of a penniless soprano, Victoria, who pretends she is a man named Victor to boost her career, and entertains as a female impersonator. She then becomes the toast of Paris, but complications arise when a Chicago mobster sees the act and falls in love with the star. The Broadway production, which was based on the 1982 film 'Victor Victoria' and directed by Edwards, opened in 1995 and ran for almost two years. -- REUTERS
