25/09/2011

Singapore F1 2011

2011 Singapore Grand Prix

The 2011 Singapore Grand Prix, formally the 2011 Formula 1 SingTel Singapore Grand Prix, was a Formula One motor race that was held on 25 September 2011 at the Marina Bay Street Circuit in Singapore. It was the fourteenth round of the 2011 Formula One season and the twelfth time the Singapore Grand Prix had been held.

The 61-lap race was won by Red Bull Racing's Sebastian Vettel, the Drivers' Championship leader, after starting from pole position. Jenson Button finished in second place for McLaren, and Mark Webber completed the podium in third position.

As a consequence of the race, Vettel extended his lead in the World Drivers' Championship to 124 points over Button, who moved up to second place in the championship. Fernando Alonso and Webber, third and fourth in the championship, were eliminated from championship contention. In the World Constructors' Championship, Red Bull extended their championship lead over McLaren to 138 points, with Ferrari a further 85 points behind in third position, and no longer in a position to win the championship title.


Singapore Grand Prix

The Singapore Grand Prix is a motor racing event which forms part of the Formula One World Championship. The event takes place on the Marina Bay Street Circuit and was the inaugural night race and first street circuit in Asia designed for Formula One races.

The original Singapore Grand Prix was held at Thomson Road from 1966 to 1973, before returning to the calendar in 2008 at Marina Bay. Fernando Alonso won the inaugural Formula One edition of the renewed Grand Prix, driving for the Renault team amid controversial circumstances, when it emerged a year later that his teammate Nelson Piquet Jr. had been ordered to crash on purpose by senior team management to bring out the safety car at a time chosen to benefit Alonso. The race itself was also notable for being the 800th Formula One World Championship race since its inception in 1950, and the first ever Formula One race held at night.

Since its inception, Marina Bay has been known for featuring at least one safety car in every race edition, with a total of 24 safety car deployments as of 2023. The Singapore Grand Prix has been considered to be one of the most challenging and unique tracks on the Formula One calendar. Sebastian Vettel has the most wins on the track, with five Singapore Grand Prix victories. In 2022, a contract extension was announced which will put the race on the Formula One calendar until at least 2028.


Revised Formula 1 circuit layout from 2023, track to no longer include Bay Grandstand

The Marina Bay Street Circuit will look a little different next year when Formula 1 returns to Singapore. Updates will be made to the track layout due to the upcoming redevelopment of The Float @ Marina Bay into NS Square, the organisers of the Singapore Grand Prix said on Wednesday (Oct 19).

Works on NS Square are scheduled to start in March next year and are expected to be completed by end-2026. They were due to begin in March 2022, but were rescheduled to start a year later due to the COVID-19 pandemic. "The track will no longer include the Bay Grandstand while the redevelopment works are under way," the race organisers said.

From the next race, the revised circuit layout will be reduced to 4.928km and the number of laps increased to 63. Turns 16 to 19 will be realigned into a 397.9m straight, bringing the circuit's number of turns to 19. The official lap record for the current layout of the Singapore Grand Prix is 1:41.905, held by Danish driver Kevin Magnussen.


F1 Renews Singapore Grand Prix In 7-Year Deal

Formula 1’s Singapore Grand Prix is slated for at least seven more years as part of a new deal that runs from 2022 to 2028.

Singapore’s estimated annual cost for hosting Formula 1 is $100 million, according to Channel News Asia. Host organizers Singapore GP Pte. Ltd. and the Singapore Tourism Board reportedly paid $35 million per Grand Prix in the previous contract, which ran from 2017 to 2021.

The race has reportedly generated more than $1.1 billion in tourism receipts, according to event organizers. This year’s event will take place on Oct. 2.

As part of the deal, the hosts have agreed to a number of changes:
  • The events will switch to renewable energy sources and focus on recycling.
  • Singapore will conduct a sustainability audit to ensure it’s following Formula 1’s sustainability goals — Formula 1 aims to be net zero carbon by 2030.
  • The hosts said they will also focus on community relations, diversity, and health and safety.


Motor racing-F1 extends Singapore Grand Prix contract until 2028

The Singapore Grand Prix will remain on the Formula One calendar until at least 2028, the sport and race organisers said on Thursday, after agreeing a fresh seven-year deal. The event, which was cancelled for the last two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, is set to take place on Oct. 2 as part of a record 23-race calendar this year. It will be the first grand prix under the new seven-year deal.

"Singapore holds a special place on the F1 calendar, and this extension is part of our long-term commitment to continue to grow the sport in Asia," Formula One chief executive Stefano Domenicali said in a statement. "The Marina Bay Street Circuit hosted the first night race in F1 history in 2008, and Singapore has continued to thrill fans, teams, and drivers ever since." Singapore has established itself as one of Formula One's most glamorous and popular events since it made its debut in 2008. The race is staged in the heart of the city-state, with cars driving around a floodlit street track against a backdrop of glittering skyscrapers, while spectators are entertained by headline music acts.

Partly funded by the government, it has played a key role in boosting tourism to Singapore. The race has generated more than S$1.5 billion in incremental tourism receipts and drawn more than 550,000 unique international visitors to Singapore since its debut, according to organisers. The 2019 race, won by four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel for Ferrari, drew a crowd of about 268,000 over the whole weekend, the event's second highest, organisers said as they looked forward to welcoming fans back this year. “The Singapore Formula One race continues to be a strong focal point for tourists, global events and business meetings,” said Singapore’s Minister for Transport S Iswaran.

F1 extends Singapore GP until 2028
Race has been on the series' calendar since 2008 & absent from 2020 and 2021 calendars due to pandemic

Formula One has announced a contract extension with the Singapore Grand Prix for seven years. The new agreement will run from 2022 until 2028.

The Singapore Grand Prix first joined the Formula One calendar in 2008, however it was absent from the schedule in 2020 and 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. According to RacingNews365, the previous contract saw the series receive US$35 million per Grand Prix from the host organisers, Singapore GP Pte Ltd (SGP) and the Singapore Tourism Board (STB). Channel News Asia pegged the overall cost of Singapore hosting its Formula One race at US$100 million a year.

The latest hosting contract has seen the organisers commit to improving the sustainability of the event. This includes switching to renewable energy sources, using recyclable materials and increasing recycling efforts. In addition, a sustainable audit will be conducted, ensuring that the Singapore Grand Prix is fully in line with Formula One’s own sustainability goals. SGP and STB have also pledged to connect with the local community, seek to promote diversity amongst event volunteers, as well as place greater emphasis on the health and safety of all attendees.


Marina Bay Street Circuit
  • When was the track built? The Marina Bay Circuit arrived on the scene in 2008. A street track with the city's famous skyline as its spectacular backdrop, the initial circuit plan by Herman Tilke was refined by KBR Inc, while the event has quickly established itself as one of the standouts on the F1 calendar.
  • When was its first Grand Prix? In 2008, Singapore had the honour of hosting the first night-time race in F1 history. The Grand Prix – the 15th round of that season – proved a huge hit with the teams and drivers, while Renault’s Fernando Alonso claimed a controversial victory.
  • What’s the circuit like? The 5.063km Marina Bay Circuit is one of the most physically demanding on the calendar, its bumpy street surface coupled with humid conditions giving the drivers plenty to think about. With 23 corners, they are working the wheel a lot, too, around the high-speed lap – the physical stress causing them to lose as much as 3kg over the course of a race. The circuit also boasts some of the most unique features of any track on the F1 calendar, including Turn 18, which actually sees the drivers pass underneath a grandstand.
  • Why go? If you want to see Singapore at its best, there’s no better time to do so than when Formula 1 arrives in the heart of this buzzing city. Get the lay of the land by taking a ride on the Singapore Flyer, a giant Ferris wheel overlooking the track’s permanent pits complex, then get stuck into Singapore’s incredible bar and restaurant scene. Cocktail fanatics should also make a pilgrimage to the famous Raffles Hotel – the proper home of the Singapore Sling (non-alcoholic versions are available!)
  • Where is the best place to watch? Get yourself comfy in the grandstand located at Turn 1, which offers spectacular views as the cars accelerate into the first corner, before braking hard and whipping through Turns 2 and 3. You’ll get a great view of the start too – expect to see plenty of sparks fly as the drivers blast off the line.

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12/09/2011

The 60th Miss Universe 2011

Miss Universe 2011
Miss Universe 2011, Leila Lopes

Miss Universe 2011 was the 60th Miss Universe pageant, held at the Credicard Hall in São Paulo, Brazil on September 12, 2011.

At the end of the event, Ximena Navarrete of Mexico crowned Leila Lopes of Angola as Miss Universe 2011. It is the first victory of Angola, and the latest country as of 2022 to win its first crown at the pageant.

Contestants from 89 countries and territories competed in this year's pageant, surpassing the previous record of 86 contestants in 2006. The pageant was hosted by Andy Cohen and Natalie Morales, while Jeannie Mai and Shandi Finnessey provided commentary and analysis throughout the event. Brazilian singer-songwriter Bebel Gilberto and Brazilian pop singer Claudia Leitte performed in this year's pageant


Miss Universe 1952 - The first Miss Universe pageant
Armi Kuusela of Finland as Miss Universe 1952

Miss Universe 1952 was the first Miss Universe pageant, held at the Long Beach Municipal Auditorium in Long Beach, California, United States on 28 June 1952.

At the end of the event, actress Piper Laurie crowned Armi Kuusela of Finland as Miss Universe 1952. It was the first victory of Finland in the history of the pageant.

Contestants from 30 countries and territories participated in this year's pageant. The pageant was hosted by Bob Russell. The competition featured the Romanov Imperial Nuptial Crown, which was previously owned by a Russian czar. The crown was said to have 1,535 diamonds, 300 carats, and was valued at $500,000.

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15/07/2011

The Straits Times 166th dating back to 1845

The Straits Times: Origins and Background
Reproduction of the very first issue of The Straits Times on July 15, 1845

With a history dating back to 1845, The Straits Times is the most widely read newspaper in Singapore with a reported combined print and digital readership of 1.34 million in 2014. It is currently the flagship English-language daily newspaper of Singapore Press Holdings Ltd (SPH), one of Asia’s leading media organisations with commercial interests in newspapers, book publishing, radio, television, new media, real estate, online classifieds, events and exhibitions, and education.

How The Straits Times was first conceived remains in dispute. The account given by Charles Burton Buckley – an amateur historian and a prominent resident of colonial Singapore – claims that the idea for establishing the newspaper came from an Armenian merchant, Marterus Thaddeus Apcar, who had employed an editor and ordered printing equipment from England for the purpose. Unfortunately, the intended editor died suddenly and Apcar went bankrupt before the arrival of the equipment. As a favour to Apcar, fellow Armenian Catchick Moses bought over the printing press and launched the newspaper in 1845 with Robert Carr Woods, an English journalist from Bombay, as the editor. Historian Constance Mary Turnbull disputed this account, arguing that it was unlikely that an Armenian merchant would have wanted to set up an English-language newspaper. In addition, she argued that given the limited size of the potential readership, it was unlikely that one would have wanted to start a newspaper to rival The Singapore Free Press, which was more established. However, it has also been postulated that Apcar wanted to set up a printing press to publish books in Armenian.

The newspaper was originally known as The Straits Times, and Singapore Journal of Commerce, a weekly paper first published on 15 July 1845. The first issue consisted of eight folio pages. The content comprised advertisements, an editorial, local news as well as foreign news extracted from overseas newspapers. The newspaper operated from its offices at No. 7 Commercial Square (present-day Raffles Place). With no more than 100 subscribers paying $16 a year, the newspaper struggled to survive. Moses withdrew from the business and left it to Woods in 1846. Timeline:
  • 15 Jul 1845: First issue of The Straits Times, and Singapore Journal of Commerce is published, with Robert Carr Woods as editor.
  • 1858: Newspaper becomes an afternoon daily and is renamed Singapore Daily Times.
  • 16 Feb 1869: Fire razes Straits Times office premises and printing equipment.
  • 1883: Daily issue is renamed The Straits Times.
  • 1888: Arnot Reid is appointed editor.
  • May 1900: Newspaper becomes a joint-stock company.
  • 1908: Alexander William Still is appointed editor.
  • 1928: George William Seabridge is appointed editor.
  • 1931: Newspaper purchases a rotary press.
  • 1937: Alfred Charles Simmons is appointed general manager.
  • 1942–45: Newspaper stops production during the Japanese Occupation.
  • 7 Sep 1945: First issue of the newspaper published after the occupation.
  • Mar 1950: Newspaper becomes a public limited company.
  • 1954: Printers go on a two-week strike.
  • 3 Apr 1958: New office at Times House begins operatons.
  • 1959: Newspaper headquarters relocates to Kuala Lumpur, and Singapore premises become a branch office.
  • 1966: Printers and journalists go on a five-day strike.
  • 1971: Printers and journalists go on an eight-day strike.
  • 1973: Newspaper restructured into two companies: Straits Times Press (Singapore) and New Straits Times.
  • 1975: The Straits Times Press (1975) Ltd is incorporated.
  • 1982: S. R. Nathan is appointed executive chairman; SNPL is formed as a competitor to the Straits Times Group.
  • 1984: The Straits Times Press, SNPL and Times Publishing Bhd are merged to form SPH, a multiplatform media organisation.
  • 1988: Lim Kim San is appointed executive chairman of SPH.
  • 2002: SPH headquarters moves to Toa Payoh North.
  • 2015: The Straits Times celebrates its 170th anniversary.
  • Aug 2015: The Straits Times reaches a daily average circulation of 481,700.


The Straits Times

The Straits Times (also known informally by its abbreviation ST) is a Singaporean daily English-language newspaper owned by the SPH Media Trust. Established on 15 July 1845, it is the most-widely circulated newspaper in the country and has a significant regional audience. The newspaper is published in the broadsheet format and online, the latter of which was launched in 1994. It is regarded as the newspaper of record for Singapore. Print and digital editions of The Straits Times and The Sunday Times had a daily average circulation of 364,134 and 364,849 respectively in 2017, as audited by Audit Bureau of Circulations Singapore. In 2014, country-specific editions were published for residents in Brunei and Myanmar, with newsprint circulations of 2,500 and 5,000 respectively.

The original conception for The Straits Times has been debated by historians of Singapore. Prior to 1845, the only English-language newspaper in Singapore was The Singapore Free Press, founded by William Napier in 1835. Marterus Thaddeus Apcar, an Armenian merchant, had intended to start a paper, hired an editor, and purchased printing equipment from England. However the would-be editor died abruptly, prior to the arrival of the printing equipment, and Apcar went bankrupt. Fellow Armenian and friend, Catchick Moses, then bought the printing equipment from Apcar and launched The Straits Times with Robert Carr Woods, Sr., an English journalist from Bombay as editor. The paper was founded as The Straits Times and Singapore Journal of Commerce on 15 July 1845.

The Straits Times was launched as an eight-page weekly, published at 7 Commercial Square using a hand-operated press. The subscription fee then was Sp.$1.75 per month. As editor, Woods sought to distinguish The Straits Times from The Singapore Free Press by including humour, short stories, and foreign news, and by making use of regular steamship services carrying mail that launched shortly before The Straits Times was launched. Historian Mary Turnbull disputes this account of The Straits Times' founding, saying that it was unlikely an Armenian merchant would have wanted to find an English-language newspaper, particularly given the presence of the more established Singapore Free Press. In September 1846, the paper was given to Woods outright because the press proved unprofitable to run and Moses was unable to sell it. The paper struggled with a lack of subscribers and newsworthy items to coverage. Woods covered the financial deficit by using the printing press for other projects, including the first directory of Singapore, The Straits Times Almanack, Calendar and Directory, published in 1846.


The Straits Times

The Straits Times is an English language broadsheet daily newspaper. It is the most widely-circulated and oldest surviving newspaper in Singapore. The paper was established on 15 July 1845 by Armenian businessman Catchick Moses and was originally known as The Straits Times and Singapore Journal of Commerce. The Straits Times is currently owned by Singapore Press Holdings. This particular edition of the Straits Times is significant as it is the first Straits Times edition of the 21st century.


Reflections on turning 170 today 15 Jul 2015
The paper was first published on 15 July 1845

There are no words to express my astonishment at receiving yesterday's copy of The Straits Times.

My immediate response on browsing through the bumper issue was to message my friends to get a copy before they ran out.

The 60-page special on the 170 years of The Straits Times ("Living History") was certainly a gift to all Singaporeans, and a timely one for the nation's 50th birthday.

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18/06/2011

Pink Dot 2011

Singapore goes to Pink Dot 2011

OVER 10,000 SUPPORTERS OF THE FREEDOM TO LOVE TURN HONG LIM PARK PINK, FOR PINK DOT 2011

Over 10,000 pink-attired Singaporeans turned Hong Lim Park into a sea of pink, where they gathered – for the third year running – to form a giant pink dot in a show of support for inclusiveness, diversity and the freedom to love. This breaks Pink Dot 2010’s previous record for the largest public gathering ever seen at the Speakers’ Corner since its opening in 2000, and is more than twice the number of people who turned up last year.

This milestone event is organised by a group of local volunteers and aims to raise awareness and foster deeper understanding of the basic human need to love and be loved, regardless of one’s sexual orientation. Pink Dot 2011 aims to re-affirm the movement’s credo, Supporting the Freedom to Love, by encouraging Singaporeans to speak up for their LGBT friends and relatives. This peaceful event was attended by both straight and gay Singaporeans and permanent residents, many who came with their family members.Pink Dot co-spokesperson Paerin Choa said: “There are few words that can fully describe what we are feeling right now. To have this many people celebrating this event with us is a truly humbling experience, and we are greatly touched by this show of solidarity and support from Singaporeans.

“One of Pink Dot’s primary aims is to engender an appreciation of Singapore’s diversity – regardless of race, language, religion, and sexual orientation, we are all Singaporeans. We have come some ways in encouraging inclusivity and acceptance of all segments of society, and we hope that more continue to join us in helping to fulfil this aim.” In 2009, the inaugural Pink Dot, held at the same venue, saw 2,500 people in attendance. In 2010, this figure nearly doubled, to 4,000.

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THANK YOU, We love Singapore!


Glad so many of you had a wonderful time yesterday. Here’s our video highlighting some of the best moments from Pink Dot 2011. Thank you for making this happen. Thank you for standing up for a more open and loving Singapore. Till a bigger and better Pink Dot next year!

* We’ve gotten some feedback about the balloon-releasing that happened this year – thank you. We’ll take extra care to remind everyone that balloons are not to be released during future Pink Dots.

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PINK DOT 2011 SONG: I WANT TO HOLD YOUR HAND
I want to hold your hand - The Beatles (LYRICS/LETRA) [Original]

At the pink dot formation every year, the crowd sings along to a song about love and friendship. This year, the Pink Dot song we’ve picked is I Want To Hold Your Hand by The Beatles. 🙂 Hope you’re ready and PINK-ed up for Saturday! See you!

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Pink Dot SG 2011

Pink Dot SG 2011 was held on 18 June with more than 10,000 participants. The event featured the theme song "I Want To Hold Your Hand" by the Beatles and a campaign video by Boo Junfeng.

The event had attracted Google as a corporate sponsor, and the multinational company continued to support the event in subsequent years. Local musical cabaret trio the Dim Sum Dollies made an appearance as the official ambassadors of the event.

Pink Dot SG 2011 was covered widely by local and international mainstream media. An aerial shot of Pink Dot SG was featured on xinmsn news for June's "2011 Year in Pictures". This was also the first time Pink Dot SG was featured in "Time Out Singapore" with a full article devoted to it. The event was also promoted in an article on CNNGo.

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