Tag Archives: 2561(2018)

Nu’est W show what’s new

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  • Baekho gets emotional on “Thankful for You.”
  • The boys of Nu’est W sit on a moving stage as they throw down another hugely successful concert at the Thunder Dome.
  • JR apparently cannot help being cute.

Nu’est W show what’s new

music November 02, 2018 01:00

By Kitchana Lersakvanitchakul
THE NATION

The Korean quartet ‘in waiting’ for the fifth member’s return didn’t actually need him in Bangkok

South Korean quartet Nu’est W pulled off a hugely successful Thailand comeback with “Double U – Encore in Bangkok” at the Thunder Dome last Saturday, despite the fact that they were only here in April.

 

Nu’est W is part of the Nu’est universe, so to speak, and they’ve become more famous since the second season of “Produce 101”, the reality TV talent show back in their homeland.

 

As a result, their previous albums have been selling better than ever, with many of the tracks climbing the Korean music charts.

The main draw is music presented in a fresh style, packaged behind a band name that breaks down as “new, established, style and tempo”.

 

At the outset they were considered sensational power rookies with their techno hip-hop and urban electro sound mingled with dubstep. More recently they’ve adopted other genres, including ballads and electro R&B.

 

Core Nu’est W members JR, Aron, Baekho and Ren were back but Minhyun is jumping ship to join Wanna One for their final year of operations. The “W” stands for “wait” because they’re waiting for Minhyun’s return, expected next year.

 

The diminished lineup on Saturday nevertheless delighted the Thai fans, who were in their screaming, shrieking glory.

The four boys took the stage dressed all in black under white suit jackets and immediately hit their stride with “Where You At” from the debut mini-album “W, Here”. The song was powerfully appealing thanks to strong vocals and rapping.

 

The band vaulted on with “Deja vu”, “Overcome” and “Love Paint”, all of which has the ladies swooning and waving their red light sticks bearing the letter W.

 

“Deja vu”, featuring a Latin pop rhythm and highpitched chorus, comes from the second mini-album, “Who, You”, and is made for moving bodies.

After a break the guys said hello and other stuff in Thai, including a marvellous “Khid thueng jang loey” from JR and “Mai jer kan nan” from Baekho. Aron shouted, “Rak na khrub!” and made the Korean love gesture saranghaeyo.

 

Then it was on to “Beautiful Ghost” from the third mini-album, “Sleeping Talking”, with great choreography and fiery special effects, and the temperature kept rising with “Climax”, “Face” and “Action” from their debut full-length album, “Re:Birth”.

As is usual with Korean pop groups, the intermission was used to tell their story. That segued into solo routines by JR, who rapped through “With”, and Aron, who crooned “Good Love”.

 

The others then rejoined them at centre stage for “Look”, “Love without Love” and “Give Me A Shoulder”, to which the audience was obliged to sing along.

Ren next did a turn at the piano and hopped up to show off his dance moves on “Paradise”, while Baekho unleashed the emotions for the gentle pop ballad “Thankful for You”.

 

The quartet reassembled in pastel blue suits for the jazzy ballad “Polaris”, highlighted by Ren’s quavering voice and a galaxy of lights spreading over the hall. That was followed by the heartfelt ballads “Good Bye Bye”, “Onekis2” and “Hello” as the lads sat on a propeller-driven turntable stage that rose up and moved around.

 

The concert proper ended with “My Beautiful”, another ballad designed to showcase their singing and rapping.

Prior to the encore, the W-shaped screens showed behind-the-scenes planning for it, which involved choosing just the right Thai song to sing as a surprise and practising the lyrics in Thai.

 

The one they picked was Ton Thanasit’s “Roo Yung” and the Koreans did a lovely job of it, but the bigger surprise was seeing them all loaded into individual carts to be rolled around the hall, bringing them very close to the fans. All the while they were throwing colourful plastic balls around.

The sweet closer to the show was a most appreciatively delivered and received “Thank You”.

‘Godfather’ of Hong Kong film, producer behind Bruce Lee, dies

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In this file photo taken on February 17, 2005, film producer Raymond Chow (L) attends a press conference on piracy where he and other industry officials jointly signed a document on copyright law in Hong Kong./AFP
In this file photo taken on February 17, 2005, film producer Raymond Chow (L) attends a press conference on piracy where he and other industry officials jointly signed a document on copyright law in Hong Kong./AFP

‘Godfather’ of Hong Kong film, producer behind Bruce Lee, dies

Breaking News November 03, 2018 12:22

By Agence France-Presse
Hong Kong

Raymond Chow, the film producer credited with bringing kung fu legend Bruce Lee to the silver screen and widely regarded as the “godfather” of Hong Kong cinema, has died aged 91, reports said Saturday.

Chow co-founded the Golden Harvest studio in 1971 and was seen as largely responsible for bringing the city’s films to an international audience.

He produced more than 170 films over his career, according to industry website IMDB, and nurtured the careers of several action stars, including Jackie Chan.

Chow first worked with Lee on “The Big Boss” — released as “Fists of Fury” in the United States — in 1971, making the actor a martial arts legend overnight. The film broke box office records both in Hong Kong and overseas.

He went on to produce or co-produce two of Lee’s best known films: “Way of the Dragon” in 1972, followed a year later by “Enter the Dragon”, the first cinema collaboration between a Hong Kong studio and Hollywood.

He repeated the success with Chan, first working together on “The Young Master” in 1980.

Born in 1927 in Hong Kong, Chow studied journalism in Shanghai and briefly worked as a reporter before going into the film industry.

He joined the Shaw Brothers studio in 1958, working his way up to chief executive before leaving in 1970 to set up his own firm.

He was recognised with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Asia Film Awards in 2011.

Fellow filmmakers and industry figures paid tribute to a man they said played a crucial role in the emergence of Hong Kong cinema.

A message on the Twitter account managed by Lee’s daughter recognised Chow’s role in the late legend’s rise to stardom.

“Thank you Raymond for taking a chance on a young Bruce Lee and helping him to realise his dream. Rest in peace, Raymond,” it said.

Sin Kwok-lam, producer of the Ip Man kung fu series, described Chow as his idol.

“He discovered Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan, who until then were unheard of,” Sin told the South China Morning Post. “Chow is an indelible hero in the history of action movies.”

Director, writer and actor Cheung Tung-cho said Chow’s death was a huge loss for Hong Kong cinema.

“He was a major mover in the industry,” Cheung told the Post. “He brought Hong Kong movies to the international stage.”

A man of many parts

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A man of many parts

movie & TV November 02, 2018 01:00

By Donsaron Kovitvanitcha
Special to The Nation

Japanese actor Koji Yakusho, who has made his name both at home and internationally, is honoured with a retrospective at the Tokyo International Film Festival

One of the biggest and most prestigious film events in Asia, the 31st edition of the Tokyo International Film Festival got underway late last month with a showcase of movies from around the world.

This year’s special retrospective programme, a popular annual event held as part of the “Japan Now” section, honoured actor Koji Yakusho, screening five of his films, namely Masayuki Suo’s “Shall We Dance?” (1995), Imamura Shohei’s Palme d’Or winner “The Eel” (1997), Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s “Cure” (1997), Shuichi Okita’s “The Woodsman and the Rain” (2011) and Kazuya Shiraishi’s 2018 release “The Blood of Wolves”.

 

Koji Yakusho was honoured at the Tokyo International Film Festival 2018, which presented five of his works in a retrospective programme as part of the Japan Now section. The actor himself attended the festival to meet his audience.

One of the most familiar faces of the Japanese film world, Yakusho has been working in the industry for almost 40 years. Starting his professional career at the Chiyoda municipal ward office, he entered the entertainment world in the late ’70’s, and has since appeared in stage plays, television series and films.

“As a young man, I’ve never had a passion for acting”, Yakusho, 62, tells The Nation. “I happened to get a ticket to a stage performance from a person who couldn’t go. I didn’t have much interest but I went. It was a performance of Maxim Gorky’s ‘The Lower Depth’ with Tatsuya Nakadai playing the main character. It really moved me and made me want to become an actor. I wanted to move people like that.”

 

A scene from “Cure” (1997)

He started learning about acting from Tetsuya Nakadai, considered as one of the greatest actors of Japan. “Tatsuya ran an acting school called MemeiJuku. It was there that I learnt the basics of acting. I took those with him to the set and learnt the rest there,” he says,

His first, albeit small, film role came in 1979 with “Hunter in the Dark” but it was his portrayal of Shinji Nakano in NHK’s 1983 television series “Tokugawa Ieyasu” and as the title character in “Miyamoto Musashi” the following year that shot him to fame.

That recognition led to a role in Juzo Itami’s “Tampopo” (1985), a film that was also successful in the western world.

 

In “Shall We Dance”, Yakusho plays Shohei Sugiyama, a successful salaryman.

Now a major star, Yakusho had a chance to work with the greatest filmmakers of Japan and other countries, such as Masayuki Suo, whose “Shall We Dance?” became a big hit in Japan and around the world and was eventually remade by Hollywood with Richard Gere in the lead role. He also collaborated with Koreeda Hirokazu, Takashi Miike, Shinji Aoyama, Koki Mitani and Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, with whom he worked on “Babel” (2006) as well as with Rob Marshall on “Memoirs of the Geisha” (2005).

“I worked with Kiyoshi Kurosawa many times,” says Yakusho. “I did “Cure” with him. He had written the screenplay years before and we spent a long time talking about it. I was involved in the process of creating the script, and I like the finished film very much. That was memorable for me and was the first film on which I worked with a director I really admired.”

He also has fond memories of Kohei Oguri’s “Sleeping Man”, which was screened at the Toronto International Film Festival in 1996.

 

Yakusho in “The Blood of Wolves”

“It was a special moment,” he recalls. “I had only one page of dialogue, in the scene where there’s just an old woman and myself. When we read it, it took less than a minute but the director wanted me to make it three of four times longer. That was difficult. It wasn’t the dialogue that was the problem. I had to make up the entire history of the character! That was a culture shock for me. I realised that acting is something that can fill pauses and space. I learnt a lot from that.”

Yakusho rarely has a chance to watch his films with the audience and he finds it special. “It only really happens at film festivals and it’s interesting to see their applause, and see how they react, and how they enjoy the film. That’s when I am so glad to be an actor,” he says.

As a veteran who has worked with so many filmmakers, Yakusho quite naturally has his favourites. In addition to Kurosawa, he particularly loves the works of Kenji Mizoguchi and Shohei Imamura. “That was such a golden age of Japanese cinema,” he muses. “Just by watching these great masters, there’s so much that we can see.”

 

In “The Eel”, Yakusho plays a man who opens a barber shop and spends his free time communing with the pet eel he got while in prison.

He has mixed feelings about the film industry of today. “When I first worked in this industry, we had no chance to see ourselves when we acted on the set unless there was an 8 mm camera there. Actors these days can. They know the angle and how it will look in the take. They don’t seem to have much tension about being on camera,” Yakusho says.

“When I started, films were shot in black and white. That evolved into Technicolour and now we are in the digital age. I find it sad that the old way is dying. Young actors will never be shot on film because film is dead,” he laments.

Yakusho is also sad about the shift from the big screen to new media, which he feels reflects a decline in the film industry as a whole.

“In the past, fashion – in fact everything – was dictated by film, but now entertainment like games and TV drama is more powerful. For someone who has spent a lifetime in the film industry, this is a bit sad,” he says.

Swimming in an urban wonderland

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A member of a group of hobby divers, speleologists and accompanying staff descend into the water at the entrance tunnel during an exploration of the Janos Molnar cave system under the Buda Hill in Budapest. /AFP
A member of a group of hobby divers, speleologists and accompanying staff descend into the water at the entrance tunnel during an exploration of the Janos Molnar cave system under the Buda Hill in Budapest. /AFP

Swimming in an urban wonderland

World November 03, 2018 01:00

By Agence France-Presse
Budapest

The caves under the Hungarian capital draw divers from far and wide

NOT EVERY diver’s dream is to watch shimmering shoals of fish swim through coral reefs in dazzlingly blue seas.

For Laura Tuominen, the ultimate diving experience is not to be found in the Red Sea or the Caribbean, but in a labyrinth of spectacular underwater caves beneath the pavements of Budapest.

The Hungarian capital is already famous worldwide for its steaming hot spas and thermal baths.

But the underwater Janos Molnar cave system, named after the Hungarian pharmacist who discovered it in the 19th century, has become a hot tip for diving aficionados.

A member of a group of hobby divers, speleologists and accompanying staff descend into the water at the entrance tunnel during an exploration of the Janos Molnar cave system under the Buda Hill in Budapest. /AFP

Around seven kilometres in length and previously open only to scientific expeditions, the cave became accessible to the public – that is, qualified divers – when a diving centre was opened here in 2015.

“We are under Budapest! It’s amazing!” shouts Tuominen, a 39-year-old Finnish anaesthesiologist and passionate amateur diver, as she jumps into the warm waters from a platform mounted in the narrow space at the bottom of the entrance tunnel.

She is one of a group of hobby divers and speleologists, wearing dry suits and carrying double cylinders of compressed gas on their backs, who then descend into the gloomy waters, the light from their torches gradually fading out of view.

AFP

The group is accompanied by a diving centre staff member who directs them with the help of “guideline” cords through the maze of narrow passageways and cavernous cathedral-like chambers.

“It’s the only underwater cave in Budapest open to divers. Speleology is a niche market. It doesn’t have mass appeal. And our urban location makes us special. It’s very, very rare,” says Attila Hosszu, who has run the centre since it opened.

The advantage of being underneath a city is that “you don’t have to haul your equipment up a mountain or down a deep valley to get here,” Hosszu adds.

The entrance to the centre is a discreet metal door near one of Budapest’s main boulevards and just a block away from the Danube river that separates the city’s two halves, Buda and Pest.

AFP

According to the diving centre’s website, the cave was formed many millennia ago, when the geological fault line on which Budapest is situated cracked. The ascending thermal water ate into the rock to create caves close to the surface.

“You can see amazing stalactites and stalagmites in Mexico. But you have to travel for days to get there. Here, you just walk in and dive, it’s very exciting,” says 38-year-old Russian Irina Litvinenko after getting off the tram on her way to the centre.

Outside on the streets, the autumn wind is blustery. But inside the centre, the air is still warm and humid, making the divers sweat as they get their equipment ready.

Explorations from the 1950s began to reveal the full extent of submerged canyons, halls and passageways.

But until the diving centre opened three years ago, only scientists were permitted entry to explore or collect samples for laboratory examinations.

Zoltan Bauer, who has been guiding groups through the cave since 2015, says visitors come mostly for the stunning underwater landscapes.

“There are only a few creatures in the cave,” the 29-year-old says, referring mainly to tiny crustaceans. “But what I really like is the shape of it, how it looks, its beautiful formations.”

AFP

Litvinenko, a Cyprus-based finance worker, is similarly entranced.

“Usually, cave diving is about going in and out of a tunnel. But this is like a Swiss cheese, you go down one hole and come back through another,” she enthuses.

“For me, it’s super-relaxing. In this technological world, silence is precious.” The water’s balmy temperature of 20-27 degrees Celsius year round is another draw, says Marton Illes, a 37-year-old IT developer from Budapest, who lives nearby.

“This is my 15th dive here, but I’m just scratching the surface. There’s so much to see down there, so many passages,” says the part-time diving instructor.

To preserve the cave’s unique ecosystem, the daily number of divers is limited to 30.

It costs 60 to 140 euros (Bt2,280 to Bt6,020) depending on the depth of the dive – maximum 90 metres.

The depth also determines the time limit, currently 150 minutes, but no-limit dives may be coming soon.

Geologists, chemists, biologists, and maintenance engineers repairing safety ropes rub shoulders with tourists in the tunnel before a dive.

Marine biology and ecology expert David Brankovits – a regular visitor – says the “creatures found here cannot be found anywhere else, scientists can study their evolution, and their food and energy sources”.

And as long as tourist divers respect the cave – a protected site since 1982 – there are no concerns about them coming here, Brankovits says.

Leicester arrive Thailand this afternoon after Cardiff win

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Leicester arrive Thailand this afternoon after Cardiff win

sports November 04, 2018 07:23

By AFP

Leicester’s grief-stricken players dedicated their emotion-fuelled 1-0 win at Cardiff on Saturday to late owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha as they are due to arrive in Thailand this afternoon for his funeral.

Thai billionaire Vichai was among five people killed when his helicopter crashed outside Leicester’s King Power Stadium following last Saturday’s match against West Ham.

The horrific accident triggered a week of mourning in Leicester and throughout the world of football but the match in Cardiff went ahead after the midweek League Cup game with Southampton was postponed.

The action on the pitch was totally overshadowed by the tributes for a much-loved chairman but the former Premier League champions held their nerve to earn a narrow win that lifted them to 10th spot.

The decisive moment came 10 minutes into the second half when winger Demarai Gray steered home a neat volley with his left foot beyond goalkeeper Neil Etheridge after a precise low cross from Ben Chilwell.

Gray looked to the heavens and all of Leicester’s players, including goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, raced to the corner of the ground where their fans were celebrating.

The scorer was not spared any sentiment however, and was promptly booked for taking his shirt off to reveal a T-shirt that read “For Khun Vichai”.

Denmark international Schmeichel, who was in tears as Leicester’s players and staff locked arms in the centre circle during a poignant minute’s silence before kick-off, said the occasion had been tough for the players to handle.

“That took a lot. It has been an emotional day and glad we got three points for him,” he said. “Every single player wanted to get out there to be at the funeral.

“We are glad we’ve come away today from a really tough game with a win we can bring to Thailand and hope we did the family proud.”

The team took a jet to Thailand right after the game.

– Thailand funeral –

 

Most of Leicester’s players, manager Claude Puel and senior staff are due to fly to Thailand for the funeral of Vichai, whose eight-year reign peaked in 2016 when the 5,000-1 outsiders became Premier League champions in astonishing style.

“We had a lot of chances and we deserve this result and it is a fantastic opportunity to honour the chairman,” Puel told Sky Sports.

“Now is just the first step and I hope we can continue next week with the same feeling,” he added.

“It will be difficult because we come back from Bangkok in the middle of the week for our first home game and we know before and after we have events to honour the chairman and it will be important to keep our self-control.”

Most Leicester fans wore white T-shirts emblazoned with the slogan “The Boss” and a picture of Vichai on the front, and on the back “Khun Vichai, You Will Be Forever In Our Hearts”

The players warmed up in similar T-shirts over their training gear.

A giant Thai flag with both clubs’ crests on it reading “RIP Vichai” was passed from the home fans to the visiting supporters.

Three minutes into the match, Leicester’s fans broke into a rendition of “When You’re Smiling”, the anthem that sound-tracked happier days during the club’s title triumph.

On the hour mark, Leicester fans delivered another tribute to their late owner when they sang “There’s Only One Vichai”, waving their scarves.

After the final whistle,  Leicester’s players and staff stood to applaud their fans for several minutes, taking in the chants of “Vichai” and “Champions of England, you made us sing that”.

‘One of my best’: Djokovic edges Federer in Paris Masters thriller

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Serbia's Novak Djokovic celebrates after winning against Switzerland's Roger Federer.
Serbia’s Novak Djokovic celebrates after winning against Switzerland’s Roger Federer.

‘One of my best’: Djokovic edges Federer in Paris Masters thriller

sports November 04, 2018 07:06

By AFP

Novak Djokovic defeated Roger Federer on Saturday in a Paris Masters semi-final that he described as “one of the best matches” between the long-time rivals to extend his winning run to 22 outings.

The Serb, who will replace Rafael Nadal as world number one on Monday, outlasted Federer in just over three hours to prevail 7-6 (8/6), 5-7, 7-6 (7/3).

He will meet Russia’s Karen Khachanov in Sunday’s final as he looks to pull level with Nadal on 33 career Masters titles.

Djokovic has won his last four meetings with Federer and now leads the Swiss 25-22 overall, having not lost to the 20-time Grand Slam champion since 2015.

“We had epic matches throughout our rivalry but this one definitely ranks as one of the best matches we played,” said Djokovic, who is aiming to clinch a fourth title in a row after wins at Cincinnati, the US Open and Shanghai.

“High quality tennis. Next to the match I played against Nadal in the semis of Wimbledon, this was definitely the most exciting match I was playing this year, and probably the best quality tennis match that I was part of.

“When I get to play Roger, I know I have to get the best out of myself in order to win. And that’s why our rivalries and matches are so special.”

Djokovic will go in search of a fifth Paris trophy after denying Federer a shot at a historic 100th title, although the Wimbledon and US Open champion was pushed all the way by his 37-year-old rival.

Djokovic watched four break points, one of which Federer saved with a magnificent reflex volley, go by as he led 4-3 in the opening set, before saving a set point on his serve in the tie-break.

A Federer backhand drifted wide to hand Djokovic the lead, although two more break points passed the Serb by in the first game of the second set with the Swiss on the ropes.

The missed opportunity proved costly when Federer conjured up just a second break point of the contest at 6-5, converting in style as he gambled on Djokovic going cross-court before batting a winner down the line to force a decider.

Federer fended off two more break points to open the third set as Djokovic hit the deck when his ankle appeared to catch in the surface.

The Serb threw his racket down in frustration as Federer again escaped from 15-40 down to move 5-4 ahead, but the Swiss star’s magic fizzled out as the final set headed to a tie-break.

 

– ‘Novak on a roll’ –

 

Djokovic rattled off six successive points to bring up five match points, clinching victory at the third attempt when Federer picked out the net to end a tense concluding rally.

“Novak is obviously on a roll. You can feel it. At the end it came down to a few things here and there,” said Federer.

“But overall I’m happy with my game. It’s better than last week in Basel. There I won the tournament and here I played in the semis and it needed somebody of Novak’s calibre to beat me.

“So that’s all right. And I’m looking forward to a rest now and a good preparation for London (ATP Finals).”

Earlier, the 22-year-old Khachanov advanced to his first Masters final after beating Austrian sixth seed Dominic Thiem 6-4, 6-1.

“I’m really happy to achieve this, to make it to the finals. But the tournament is not over. I mean, I’m looking forward to play finals tomorrow,” said the 18th-ranked Russian.

The 1.98m Khachanov dominated from the baseline and attacked the Thiem service, breaking the Austrian in his final five service games of the match.

Khachanov has won two ATP World Tour titles in 2018 with triumphs in Marseille and at the Kremlin Cup.

“I am very happy with the way I have been playing,” said the Russian who is assured of climbing at least to 12th in the ATP rankings when they are published on Monday.

Taking the heat: Marquez seals pole before penalty

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Marquez was half a second clear and took pole number 80 across all classes, but a six-place grid penalty puts him in P7 on the grid.
Marquez was half a second clear and took pole number 80 across all classes, but a six-place grid penalty puts him in P7 on the grid.

Taking the heat: Marquez seals pole before penalty

sports November 04, 2018 01:00

By MotoGP

Repsol Honda rider goes fastest, takes a tumble and then some heat with a six-place grid penaltyใ

Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) secured an 80th career pole position after he was the early master of the wet Q2 conditions at the Shell Malaysia Motorcycle Grand Prix, but there was a small bump back to Earth not long after for the reigning World Champion as he later crashed – and then another as he was given a six-place grid penalty for irresponsible riding. The number 93 impeded Andrea Iannone (Team Suzuki Ecstar) and will now start seventh.

So what does that mean? It means we have an Independent Team rider starting from pole, with Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) now on top after going second quickest in the session. Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) starts second, and fittingly, it’s Iannone now completing that front row.

Back at the beginning it was Marquez who led the field over the line and set the first benchmark; a 2:13.641 to edge out Jack Miller (Alma Pramac Racing), who was just behind the Spaniard on track. Iannone was also within a tenth after the first lap, with a mere 0.051 splitting the top three, but with a banker lap under his belt, Marquez then slammed in a rapid second lap to considerably shift the goal posts. A 2:12.161 put him a full 1.264 quicker than the man who’d taken over at the top, Danilo Petrucci (Alma Pramac Racing), as the World Champion put some serious daylight between himself and his rivals. The Repsol Honda rider then lost the front at Turn 4, however, and there was no saving this one.

The field then set about trying to beat Marquez’ marker. Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) shot up to P2 but was still over a second off and then on his final flying lap and then Italian crashed at Turn 9, before Iannone went up to P2 but the gap was remained 0.936. A flying Frenchman then propelled himself into second with Zarco cutting the gap to eight tenths and fellow YZR-M1 rider Rossi then leapfrogging him. Could either go one better on their final attempt?

Zarco put in a personal best lap to re-take P2 from ‘The Doctor’, but the gap between the number 93 and his rivals remained 0.548 after a masterclass from Marquez for his 80th career pole position across all classes. Then, though, news came through of the penalty and although it remains a Marquez pole in the statistics, he’ll be starting seventh.

That means Dovizioso starts fourth despite his crash, with fellow Desmosedici rider Miller ending the session P6 after setting his best lap on his final lap. He now starts in the middle of a second row completed by teammate Danilo Petrucci. Marquez heads Row 3, ahead of Friday’s quickest rider Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) and Q1 graduate Alvaro Bautista (Angel Nieto Team).

Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team), Australian GP winner Maverick Viñales (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) and Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) line up on a super-powered Row 4.

That’s it from a day of ups and downs at Sepang International Circuit, and engines will soon be on for racing. The MotoGP™ race starts at the earlier time of 13:00 local time – that’s in GMT +8 – after changes to the schedule.

MotoGP™ Qualifying Results

1 – Marc Marquez (SPA) HONDA 2’12.161

First Independent Team Rider:

2 – Johann Zarco (FRA) YAMAHA +0.548

3 – Valentino Rossi (ITA) YAMAHA +0.848

Thai elite mourn Leicester City owner Vichai at elaborate funeral

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ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/sports/30357831

Mourners from Thailand's elite arrives at the Wat Thepsirin Buddhist temple in Bangkok for the funeral ceremony of Leicester City's Thai owner and duty-free mogul Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha on November 3, 2018./AFP
Mourners from Thailand’s elite arrives at the Wat Thepsirin Buddhist temple in Bangkok for the funeral ceremony of Leicester City’s Thai owner and duty-free mogul Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha on November 3, 2018./AFP

Thai elite mourn Leicester City owner Vichai at elaborate funeral

national November 04, 2018 01:00

By Agence France-Presse

The elaborate funeral of Leicester City’s Thai owner and duty-free mogul Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha began at a Buddhist temple in Bangkok Saturday evening, as members of Thailand’s business and political elite came in black mourning garb to pay tribute to the well-connected billionaire.

The number two in Thailand’s junta Prawit Wongsuwan and CP group’s Dhanin Chearavanont, the richest man in the country, were seen arriving at the week-long ceremony, which begins with three days of royally-sponsored bathing rites.

Prominent figures in Thailand’s music and sporting scene were also in attendance to honour the odds-defying life of Vichai, 60, who along with four others died in a helicopter accident moments after they departed the football club’s pitch a week ago.

The tragic ending stunned Thais who had followed Vichai’s fairytale-like success and the days since have been filled with heartfelt comments from admirers, footballers, friends and relatives.

“He’s now the leader of Thai football and leader of world football because he changed a lot of things when he took the chairmanship of Leicester City,” Thai football legend Kiatisuk “Zico” Senamuang told AFP outside the ceremony, his tone sombre.

“Because Leicester can show they could be champion of the Premier League, that’s why anything in Thailand can happen in the future.”

Vichai rose from having a single store in Bangkok to owning the duty-free King Power empire, whose shops are ubiquitous in Thailand’s tourist-heavy airports.

Using the profits from his monopoly, he bought Leicester City and helped turn them from an unremarkable English club into the surprise winners of the Premier League title in 2016.

Despite his business smarts Vichai owed his ascent to canny navigation of Thailand’s unpredictable politics and powerbrokers.

His links to the monarchy were reflected in the name of his company and the former king’s act of royally bestowing a surname that translates to “auspicious and prosperous light”.

‘Honour his name’

The private funeral at Wat Thepsirin has regal touches, with an octagonal urn among the items given by the king and court musicians playing drums and flutes.

After the bathing rites Buddhist monks will recite prayers from religious texts and the body will then be kept for 100 days before cremation, though a date has not been set.

Members of the Leicester team including coach Claude Puel are due to fly to Thailand to pay their respects after what is likely to be an emotion-packed afternoon away match against Cardiff City Saturday.

“We all spoke about … wanting to play, it’s what Vichai would’ve wanted and that’s what we are going to do,” striker Jamie Vardy told Sky Sports, adding that they would “honour his name” with their performance.

Vardy, goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel and captain Wes Morgan, are expected to travel to Thailand along with Puel and senior staff.

Vichai leaves behind a wife and four children, two sons and two daughters.

All five are on the executive board of King Power, which faces an uncertain future.

Vichai’s youngest son Aiyawatt — better known by his nickname “Top” — said in an Instagram post this week that his father had “left me with a legacy to continue and I will do everything I can to carry on his big vision and dreams.”

The four other crash victims were identified by British police as Nursara Suknamai — an actress and a runner-up in Miss Thailand Universe in 2005 — and Kaveporn Punpare, both members of Vichai’s staff, pilot Eric Swaffer and passenger Izabela Roza Lechowicz.

Lee takes lead after bogey-free second round at Japan Classic

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ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/sports/30357826

Minjee Lee (Photo credit to LPGA)
Minjee Lee (Photo credit to LPGA)

Lee takes lead after bogey-free second round at Japan Classic

sports November 03, 2018 18:32

By AFP

Australia’s Minjee Lee shot a sparkling eight-under-par 64 to grab a three-stroke lead after the second round of the LPGA Japan Classic on Saturday.

Aiming at her second LPGA crown this season, the world number five fired eight birdies with no bogey at par-72 Seta Golf Club in Shiga, improving to 13-under 131.

Lee, who was tied for fifth in the first round, displayed a steady performance with precision shots, while first-round leader Ryu So-yeon sank to be tied 13th with three bogeys.

“I had no bogeys today and so obviously no bogey round is always a solid round,” Lee said afterwards.

Asked about her strategy on the final day, she said she would “play smart and aggressive at the same time.”

Local favourite Sakura Koiwai shot seven birdies with a bogey for a 66 followed by compatriot Nasa Hataoka and Jiyai Shin of South Korea one stroke back.

“I’m surprised as I never thought of this result,” Koiwai said.

“Since tomorrow is the final day, I want to concentrate on the game hit by hit so that I can have no regret,” she said.

China’s Feng Shanshan, the two-time defending champion, shot 71 to be tied 22th, and newly crowned world number one Ariya Jutanugarn was at tied 25th after also carding a 71.

Marquez grabs pole for Malaysian MotoGP in rain-hit race

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ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/sports/30357825

Repsol Honda Team's Spanish rider Marc Marquez rides on the rain-hit track during the qualifying session of the Malaysia MotoGP at the Sepang International circuit in Sepang.
Repsol Honda Team’s Spanish rider Marc Marquez rides on the rain-hit track during the qualifying session of the Malaysia MotoGP at the Sepang International circuit in Sepang.

Marquez grabs pole for Malaysian MotoGP in rain-hit race

sports November 03, 2018 18:30

By AFP

World champion Marc Marquez snatched pole position Saturday for the Malaysian MotoGP despite falling off his bike in a rain-hit race while course favourite Andrea Dovizioso also took a tumble.

Qualifying for Sunday’s Grand Prix was delayed for over an hour as the Sepang International Circuit was hit by a torrential downpour.

When the race finally got underway, Honda’s Marquez, who clinched the world championship in Japan last month, clocked the fastest lap time of 2min 12.161 sec early on and stayed in the lead for the whole race.

About 10 minutes in, he fell off his bike on the rain-soaked track as he rounded a sharp turn. But he got back up straight away unhurt, and continued racing.

Yamaha’s Johann Zarco was in second place, 0.548 off the pace, while Italian legend Valentino Rossi rounded out the front row.

There was disappointment for Ducati’s Dovizioso, who only managed to clock the fifth fastest time and also took a tumble on the slippery track. He also got up and walked away, apparently uninjured.

The Italian is chasing his third consecutive victory at the Malaysian Grand Prix, as seeks to secure the runner-up spot in the overall standings this season.

He is currently in second position in the standings and his closest rival is Yamaha’s Rossi, snapping at his heels in third place.

Organisers also decided to shift Sunday’s MotoGP forward by two hours to 1:00 pm (0500 GMT), in a bid to avoid the heavy rains that typically fall later in the afternoon in tropical Malaysia.