Kimi Raikkonen wins in Belgium to end losing streak

Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen has won the Belgian grand prix with Giancarlo Fisichella of Force India, who started on pole, second. Sebastian Vettel's Red Bull was third with Brawn's Rubens Barichello seventh – but neither was able to take full advantage of Jenson Button's withdrawal from the race on lap one.

Button, alongside the reigning world champion Lewis Hamilton, was forced off after a collision that required the deployment of the safety car and resulted in four retirements. Button led his team-mate Barrichello by 18 points in the drivers' championship at the start of the race, an advantage that has now been cut to 16.

While Vettel claimed six points, moving him into third place overall, his team-mate Mark Webber failed to make up ground on Button after finishing outside the points in ninth. Webber slips to fourth, 20.5 points behind Button with five races to go.

The man to gain was Raikkonen, who claimed his fourth Belgian grand prix victory in five years to end a run of 26 races without a win for the 2007 world champion. Fisichella's podium finish gave Force India their first points in Formula One after 30 races.

AirAsia X flying to home of the Pandas soon

AirAsia is introducing a new route connecting Kuala Lumpur to Chengdu from Oct 20.

To be operated by AirAsia X, the four direct weekly flights come at all-in-fares as low as RM129 one-way.

Reservations can be done online via AirAsia’s website at www.airasia.com or mobile.airasia.com.

The booking period is from Aug 26 to Aug 30 2009, for the travel period between Oct 20, 2009 and July 31, 2010.

AirAsia’s Regional Head of Commercial Kathleen Tan said: “Our China network has remained incomplete without a presence capable of unlocking the potential of travel to the western territories of China.

“With Chengdu now added on to our network, AirAsia can now boast that we have mainland China covered with 160 weekly flights.” She added that at present, there is no direct air connectivity between Kuala Lumpur and Chengdu, home to China’s living natural heritage, the Pandas.

AirAsia X CEO, Azran Osman-Rani said that despite the gloomy global economy, China remained an important trading and economic partner for Malaysia and the Asean region.

“The launch of this new route is expected to enhance the exchange of trade and tourism, and to strengthen the economic development of Kuala Lumpur and Chengdu.

“AirAsia X’s low fares and innovative services will also stimulate more travels both in-bound and outbound from these two destinations as the Chinese public can take advantage of Kuala Lumpur’s status as a gateway to Asia, Australia and Europe,” he said.

Chinese Drama & Cultural Dance @ Esplanade : 29th Aug 2009

Date: 29th Aug 2009 Saturday
Time: 8pm to 9.30pm
Location: Esplanade, Penang
Organizer: Penang State Tourism Development & Culture
Performers: Spring Production and Art Studio

The forthcoming cultural performance to be held this Saturday 29th Aug 2009 features the Chinese culture here in Penang. Expect the buzz of the traditional chinese dance and drama as well as poetry recital which depicts the chinese culture and heritage in Penang.

The performances represents the early chinese culture in Penang, mirroring the simplicity of life here in peaceful Penang.

Be charmed by the young talents of Penang as they recite poetry in the local languages of Penang: Chinese, English and Bahasa Malaysia. Don't miss this oriental staging!

Program:
1) Dance Theater "Old Penang Act 1"- Boat Rowing
2) Dance Theater "Old Penang Act 2" - I am a Hokkien
3) Children Poem Recital (7 years old)
4) Traditional Chinese Dance
5) Children Poem Recital ( 9 years old)
6) Dance Performance: Greek Dance
7) Children Poem Recital (13 years old)
8) Traditional Dance: TBD
9) Children Theatre "12 Chinese Zodiac"
10) Dance Performance

Chong Wei, Kien Keat-Boon Heong bag Macau Open titles

Lee Chong Wei and the men’s pair of Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong lived up to their top billings in the Macau Open yesterday.

World No. 1 Chong Wei bagged his fifth title for the year, beating fellow Malaysian Wong Choong Hann 21-15, 21-19 in 36 minutes in the men’s singles final while Kien Keat-Boon Heong won the Macau Open men’s doubles title for the third successive time, defeating compatriots Choong Tan Fook-Lee Wan Wah 21-14, 17-21, 21-12

Winning the Macau Open title without dropping a single game will be a consolation for Chong Wei after his disapppointing outing in the preceeding World Championships in Hyderabad a week ago where he failed to get past the quarter-finals.

Team manager How Kim Tho said that although he emerged triumphant, Chong Wei appeared lethargic and made numerous mistakes against veteran Choong Hann.

“The last two weeks have taken its toll on him.

“Although there was no pressure, Chong Wei was also determined to protect his long unbeaten record against a fellow Malaysian,” said Kim Tho.

For Kien Keat-Boon Heong, the victory yesterday was their third Open title this year after their successes in the Swiss Open in March and Malaysian Grand Prix Gold in Johor Baru in June.

The successful bid also meant that Kien Keat-Boon Heong, who were bronze medallists at the world championships, are guaranteed of retaining their No. 2 spot in the world rankings behind Indonesians Markis Kido-Hendra Setiawan.

Rubens Barrichello wins in Valencia

Rubens Barrichello made best of a heavy fuel load, superb tactics and a critical error from McLaren Mercedes to win the 57-lap European Grand Prix in Valencia, the tenth of his career and his first since Shanghai 2004. Wearing a tribute to the injured Felipe Massa on his crash helmet the emotional Brazilian took the chequered flag two seconds clear of pole-sitter Hamilton and in doing so moves second in the championship race, 18 points behind Brawn Mercedes team-mate Jenson Button.

Lewis Hamilton looked to be in complete control of the race in the early stages as he stormed away from the pole position with team-mate Heikki Kovalainen backing up Barrichello and allowing the Hungarian winner to pull a small advantage. Barrichello however was able to run close behind Kovalainen and with his heavier fuel load was able to gain second position following the first round of stops.

With his rear gunner now consigned to third, Hamilton pushed hard to keep the gap to the Brawn racer between three and four seconds. However it was all for nothing as on lap 38 Hamilton peeled off into the pit lane only to find the team had not prepared the tyres. As the crew scrambled around, the valuable seconds ticked by and after 14 seconds Hamilton was back in the race. Barrichello by this point was now six seconds up the road and the race was lost for McLaren.

It was a superb drive from Barrichello who may well have taken the victory regardless of Hamilton’s problem, but it would have been a whole lot closer. With Red Bull enduring an awful race weekend, Barrichello moves ahead of Mark Webber in the championship as the Australian finished ninth and out of the points, while Sebastian Vettel suffered a fuelling problem and then another engine failure to record his second straight failure to finish.

Kimi Raikkonen qualified sixth and made best of KERS off the line to vault fourth by the first corner. From this point the 2007 champion drove his usual solid race, gaining third from Kovalainen in the second and final stop. Team-mate Luca Badoer had reasonable pace in race conditions, but his return after a decade on the sidelines in place of the injured Felipe Massa was littered with small errors leaving him 17th at the chequered flag.

Kovalainen will be disappointed with fourth position after running second through the first stint but the Finn held off the charging Nico Rosberg to the line and recorded his best finish, in what has been a difficult second season with McLaren Mercedes.

Rosberg continued his string of points scoring results with a fine fifth while team-mate Kazuki Nakajima’s race was compromised in qualifying with the mechanical and then destroyed in the race by a right rear puncture. The Japanese racer has yet to score this year.

Fernando Alonso chased Rosberg for much of the race before settling for sixth position at his home Grand Prix in the leading Renault while championship leader Jenson Button had a poor race to seventh position and just two championship points.

Starting fifth, Button made a good start to the race to run alongside Sebastian Vettel into the first turn. Perhaps with his large championship lead in his mind, Button backed off and this allowed four cars to stream through. The Brawn racer soon passed Mark Webber, but was judged to have cut a chicane to gain an unfair advantage and was forced to relinquish the position. The British driver would gain the place from Webber in the final round of pit stops, but it was a poor drive from a driver aiming for the ultimate prize.

Robert Kubica claimed the final point for the BMW Sauber team with a solid run to eighth position while Webber looked lost all weekend and finished a dismal ninth and out of the points. Red Bull Renault therefore leaves Valencia having failed to score and are now 27.5 points behind Brawn Mercedes in the constructors’ championship.

WOW!!! ‘Ecofun Theme Park Resort’ in Penang?

From The Star today, this is a very interesting project. The state government really really putting up lots of effort to promote the state's tourism :)

IF all goes well, Penang is set to have the first-of-its-kind eco-friendly world class theme park in Teluk Bahang.

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said a Penang-based company that was involved in the design and construction of the Universal Studios Theme Park in Singapore had submitted a proposal to the state government to set up an environmentally-friendly ‘Ecofun Theme Park Resort’.

He, however, said that just like other projects, an open tender would be called before the state would decide on which company should be given the contract.

Lim said the state hoped to call for an open tender beginning Oct 1 and the deadline would be Dec 1.

He said a 12.14ha land belonging to the Penang Water Corporation located downstream near the Teluk Bahang dam would be leased out if the proposal were to be approved.

“If the green light is given, then the project will take about four years to be fully completed. The estimated cost for the theme park is RM100mil. This will boost tourism, as the park will only be 3km away from the Batu Ferringhi tourism belt.

“And if the proposed Penang Hill cable car project were to take off, it would be a value added service, as one of the stops could be at the theme park,’’ he said.

FILA warehouse Sales 21st Aug - 25th Aug 2009

Fila Warehouse Sale (Discount up to 80%)

Date : 21st to 25th Aug 2009

Venue : FILA store @ Island Plaza ground floor

If you are looking for some bargains of sports wear and do not mind wearing a FILA (I know this brand is not so popular among you out there :p), then head on to the shop to have a look. I remembered my friend once told me that FILA sales is quite a good time to hunt for bargain buys :)