Latest news with #Chia


News18
a day ago
- Sport
- News18
PV Sindhu Creates Brilliant Record At China Open, Registers Fastest Smash
PV Sindhu, ranked world No. 15, registered the fastest smash at China Open among women's singles players at 397.2 kph. Double Olympic medallist PV Sindhu, who is having a torrid time on the court with no titles in the last seven months, finally has something to cheer about, as she registered the fastest smash at last week's China Open among women's singles players, at a whopping 397.2 kph. Sindhu, ranked world No. 15, came into the match against compatriot Unnati Hooda on the back of a solid victory over Japan's Tomoka Miyazaki but found herself outplayed by Unnati's speed, precision and unrelenting energy to exit the China Open in the second round. This is the first time that Sindhu has lost to a fellow Indian in an international event in seven years, the last being the 2018 Commonwealth Games final defeat to Saina Nehwal. She had lost to Saina in the 2019 National Championships final as well. Thailand's Busanan Ongbamrumphan is second on the list behind Sindhu, with a smash of 388.8 kph, while Scotland's Kirsty Gilmour is third with 368.2 kph. Notably, champion Wang Zhiyi doesn't feature among the top 10. In men's doubles, star Indian shuttler Satwiksairaj Rankireddy registered a smash of 436.2 kph, way below his world record of 565km/h smash. He and Chirag Shetty finished as semifinalists after losing to nemesis Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik in straight games. Satwik and Chirag once again found themselves on the losing side against the Chia and Soh, who have proven to be a persistent hurdle in their path. Satwik and Chirag went down 13-21, 17-21 to the 2022 World champions and two-time Olympic bronze medallists. This was the 14th meeting between the two pairs, with Chia and Soh maintaining a dominant 10-3 head-to-head record. South Korea's Kim Won-ho tops the list in men's doubles with two smashes of 461.6 and 455.6kph. Chia is third on the list with a 454.2kph smash. No Indian features on the fastest smash list in the men's singles, women's doubles or mixed doubles formats. view comments Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Business Times
5 days ago
- Business
- Business Times
Private home prices up 1% in Q2, bringing half-year growth to 1.8%: URA
[SINGAPORE] Prices of private residential property rose 1 per cent in the second quarter of 2025, as sales volume fell almost 30 per cent quarter on quarter with few new projects launched. Latest government data showed that the private property index rose faster than the earlier released flash estimate of 0.5 per cent, and slightly higher than the first-quarter increase of 0.8 per cent. While overall prices continued to rise during the quarter on much lower volume, 'performance across different market segments shows varied responses to both external and internal factors, revealing a nuanced landscape', said Chia Siew Chuin, JLL's head of residential research, research and consultancy, Singapore. Core Central Region (CCR) non-landed homes led the gains, with their prices rising by 3 per cent. Prices were lifted by the debut of 21 Anderson, where five units were sold at a median of S$4,811 per square foot (psf), as well as continued sales in other CCR projects already on the market. In contrast, prices in the Rest of Central Region (RCR) fell 1.1 per cent 'even with new project launches during the quarter', noted Chia. One Marina Gardens sold 479 units in Q2 at a median price of S$2,950 psf, while Bloomsbury Residences moved 158 units at a median price of S$2,473 psf. And despite the lack of new project launches in the Outside Central Region (OCR), non-landed home prices increased by 1.1 per cent, more than the 0.3 per cent increase in Q1, added Chia. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Tuesday, 12 pm Property Insights Get an exclusive analysis of real estate and property news in Singapore and beyond. Sign Up Sign Up Landed home prices, meanwhile, picked up pace and rose 2.2 per cent, faster than the 0.4 per cent growth in Q1. Huttons Asia chief executive Mark Yip pointed to a jump in the number of Good Class Bungalow (GCB) transactions, with an estimated 11 deals valued at more than S$300 million lodged in Q2, significantly more than the two caveats filed in the previous quarter. Year on year, overall prices were up 3.4 per cent in the second quarter. This brought price growth for the half-year to 1.8 per cent, moderating slightly from the 2.3 per cent increase recorded in the same period last year, said SRI managing partner Ken Low. With buyers turning price-conscious, 'starting prices at some recent and upcoming launches are competitive, with several unit options for housing budgets of S$2.5 million or below, which is roughly the pricing sweet-spot for many homebuyers today', noted PropNex CEO Kelvin Fong. Around two-thirds of new non-landed private homes, excluding executive condominiums (ECs), were sold for under S$2.5 million in Q2. Some 67 per cent of the units sold in the first two weeks of July were also in that price range. Overall sales volume, including sub-sales and resales, declined 29.4 per cent with 5,128 units transacted in Q2, from 7,261 in Q1. Volumes were at the lowest level since Q2 2024, when 4,915 units were sold, said Realion Group chief researcher and strategist Christine Sun. This was partly due to a drop in new supply, with developers launching 1,520 units, excluding ECs, for sale in Q2 – less than half of Q1's 3,139 units. Election season in April and May and the school holiday lull in June also weighed on sales activity. In the EC market, no new projects were launched, but developers moved 149 already-marketed units in Q2. In the previous quarter, developers launched 760 EC units for sale and sold 830 EC units. New sales volume, excluding ECs, consequently fell to 1,212 units in Q2, from 3,375 units in Q1. With the drop in new sales, unsold inventory of uncompleted private homes, excluding ECs, rose 2.1 per cent to 18,498 units in Q2. Including completed units, unsold inventory was up 2.1 per cent to 18,653 units. This is significantly lower than the last peak of 37,799 units registered in Q1 2019, said Tricia Song, CBRE research head for South-east Asia. The current level of unsold inventory translates to more than two years' of landbank, based on the five-year annual average new sales volume of 8,600 units from 2020 to 2024, and 2024's total developer sales of 6,469 units, she added. Lacking launches More homebuyers also turned to the resale market amid the dearth of new condo launches in Q2. Some 3,647 resale transactions were recorded – up from 3,565 units in the prior quarter. These deals accounted for 71.1 per cent of all sales in Q2, jumping from 49.1 per cent in Q1. There were 269 sub-sale transactions in Q2, fewer than the 321 units transacted in the previous quarter. It was also the lowest volume of sub-sales recorded since Q1 2023, when 243 transactions were made, noted ERA CEO Marcus Chu. But sub-sales were up as a proportion of all sales, at 5.2 per cent in Q2, from 4.4 per cent in Q1 and 4.2 per cent in Q4 2024. With a long pipeline of new launches slated for the rest of the year, analysts expect sales to come in at the higher end of forecasts of 7,000 to 9,000 units for 2025, with prices pitched to rise between 3 and 5 per cent. On the rental front, URA's overall index was up 0.8 per cent in the second quarter, extending from a 0.4 per cent increase in the prior quarter. The vacancy rate climbed to 7.1 per cent as at end-Q2, from 6.5 per cent in Q1. Realion's Sun noted that this was the fifth straight quarter of rents changing between minus 1 and 1 per cent, indicating a stabilisation in rents. It follows a 1.9 per cent rental correction in 2024. The slight rise in the rental index follows the completion of 980 private housing units in the first quarter, of which 639 were ECs. This brought the number of units completed in the first half to around 3,000. In the remaining half year in 2025, 3,236 private homes, including ECs, are set to be ready, based on the expected completion dates reported by developers. These comprise units with and without planning approval. Another 8,195 units are expected to be completed in 2026, 11,227 units in 2027, and 11,584 units in 2028. Beyond that, some 22,726 units are expected to be completed, said URA. With an uptick in housing completions coming ahead, CBRE's Song expects rental growth to moderate further, rising 1 to 3 per cent for the whole of 2025. But the prime CCR, in particular, could see stronger rental growth in the next two years due to a low supply of completed homes in the area, said Huttons Asia's Yip.


Vogue Singapore
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Vogue Singapore
Contouring is back in the game, but it's not as you know it
Perhaps one might recall the days when Kim Kardashian would sculpt her mien to the nines—carving out her cheekbones for her iconic selfies in the early days of the 'gram. Then, she got over it, announcing the hours of 'nontouring', doing away with her OTT style of make-up that she had become synonymous with. The beauty landscape has changed plenty since, and we've since moved into an era when natural, lit-from-within skin takes priority. In 2025 however, a shift is happening again. Gone are the days when contouring was all about bold lines and high definition, but we're not only about the Clean Girl life anymore either. Instead, the new wave is all about soft contours and enhancing one's best features along the way. Recent runway seasons are evidence enough. All over the runways of luxury brands like Gucci, Alaïa and Calvin Klein, the make-up may have leaned minimal, but cheekbones were defined ever so slightly—be it with cool-toned neutrals or simply experimenting with varied blush shades and under eye shading. Gucci fall/winter 2025. IMAXtree The Chloé boho girl, for one, bore nude lips and a skin-like finish to her countenance, but her cheekbones were softly defined to perfection. Jonathan Anderson's triumphant debut Dior show also saw boys saunter down the runway with soft, ruddy cheeks that felt natural and playful. Dior men spring/summer 2026. IMAXtree Chloé fall/winter 2025. IMAXtree No doubt, this shift is being reflected in the beauty market too. '2025's beauty junkie has graduated from the basics of harsh lines, and is contouring with more flair than ever,' starts make-up artist Kenneth Chia. The contour shift This shift in contouring spans a range of methods. 'Think: contouring the philtrum and cupid's bow for fuller lips, using multiple shades of blush to contour and even the South Korean undereye look aka aegyo sal ,' Chia explains further. After all, everyone's face shapes and aesthetics are different, so the important thing to remember is that we need to contour according to what suits our face shape or look best. The tools required With 'soft' contouring, we're trying to be more intentional about defining certain parts of our face. 'So be really precise with the areas you're contouring, and match the brush size to the area of the face you're targeting. This will give you a much softer, more effective result,' Chia advises. 'You should also always check your contour in daylight if possible. A general rule of thumb is that if it looks good in daylight, it'll look good in most other types of light,' he adds. BUY NOW Shop the look To achieve a well-executed, softly-defined mien, your arsenal is just as crucial. Be it contour sticks, specific palette shades or even bronzer powders, Chia recommends you get creative with using what you have to suit the type of contour shade you need. 'Like brow powders for example, which have the perfect range of contour shades for tricky skin tones like olives, which can be hard to find elsewhere.' Below, a judicious shopping list for your contour considerations, including some recommendations from Chia himself. Courtesy of Sephora 1 / 9 Chia's recommendation: Givenchy Prisme Libre Bronzer Powder, $89 'Givenchy's new Prisme Libre Bronzer Powder is super handy with four matte shades for a summer sculpt. I always suggest a minimum of two shades to contour anyway.' Available at Sephora. Courtesy of Chanel 2 / 9 Chia's recommendation: Chanel Beauty Stylo Ombre Et Contour in Contour Clair, $111 'I swear by Chanel Beauty's Stylo Ombre Et Contour (Contour Clair). It's the perfect mix of warm and cool tones, and gives you lots of playtime to blend before it sets.' Available at Chanel. Courtesy of Sephora 3 / 9 Makeup by Mario Sculpt & Pop On-The-Go Contour & Blush Stick Duo, $62 You've got everything you need to create that perfectly lifted look. Apply along cheekbones, forehead or even the jawline, and add on the blush before you blend it all out with a brush to get the softly-sculpted look of your dreams. Available at Sephora. Courtesy of Too Cool For School 4 / 9 Too Cool For School Artclass by Rodin Shading Palette, $15 A K-beauty favourite, Too Cool For School's shading palette has its own legion of fans. With three powder contour shades in one pact, it's easy to layer up and play with different shades—plus it's travel-friendly too. Available at Shopee. Courtesy of Harrods 5 / 9 Tom Ford Beauty Shade and Illuminate Contour Duo, $140 This creamy bad boy will give you the best of both worlds: a deeper shade to create depth and a lighter one to illuminate the centre of your face to give it more definition. Available at Harrods. Courtesy of Sephora 6 / 9 Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Contour Wand, $66 With its sponge applicator, this liquid contour is easy to apply and blend on the go, with the benefit of Charlotte Tilbury's generous pigmentation when it comes to their products. Available at Sephora. Courtesy of Sephora 7 / 9 Dear Dahlia Skin Silhouette Contour Duo, $40 Ideal for shading specific areas of your mien. If you're targetting your cupid's bow or the under eye area, this palette gives a lighter, more natural powder finish that is easy to build up with a small brush. Available at Sephora. Courtesy of Sephora 8 / 9 Nudestix Tinted Blur Sculpt Stick, $52 Perfectly cool-toned and blends seamlessly, the Nudestix stick has been a mainstay for contour advocates for the longest time. Available at Sephora. Courtesy of Sephora 9 / 9 Patrick Ta Major Headlines Double-Take Creme & Powder Blush, $62 This dual pact gives you definition with one creamy formula to layer on first, before blending and adding flair to the look with an accompanying powder shade. Available at Sephora.


New Straits Times
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New Straits Times
#SHOWBIZ: Singaporean actress Kimberly Chia shares 'embarrassing' reason behind hospitalisation
SINGAPORE: Actress Kimberly Chia has openly discussed the surprising and "embarrassing" cause of her recent hospital visit. In a recent Instagram post, the 29-year-old artiste revealed she experienced intense back pain that unexpectedly worsened one morning. "I had been having a dull, bearable backache which I ignored," she shared alongside a video of herself being wheeled into a hospital on a stretcher. "Then on Thursday morning, while getting ready for work and brushing my teeth, I gagged while cleaning my tongue and suddenly bent forward." That sudden movement triggered a sharp pain in her back. "I felt something snap, and it was so painful I saw stars. I blacked out briefly, though I was still conscious. I screamed for my husband, and he helped me lie down. "I was crying and couldn't move. Every attempt to get up was excruciating, so we called an ambulance." Chia, who is married to 37-year-old businessman Vincent Yeo and is a mother to a three-year-old son, was kept overnight for observation. "Everything looked normal, but the pain was intense. I was on strong painkillers, yet the pain didn't ease," she wrote. "I couldn't sit up or move. It's still painful now, but I'm feeling better and can move slowly." Laughing at the situation, she added: "I was reluctant to share the real reason because it's so embarrassing?! Haha." Best known for her role in the 2011 crime drama 'On The Fringe', Chia recently made a cameo in the 2024 horror-comedy 'The Chosen One'. In an interview with Lianhe Zaobao published on July 21 after her discharge, Chia said she is now recovering and plans to begin physical therapy, as well as undergo an orthopaedic assessment. Although she maintains a regular fitness routine and has no history of back problems, the injury has temporarily limited her movements. "I can walk, but I can't bend over or make large movements, and I have to turn slowly," she explained. "I can't drive either. Pressing the accelerator or brake affects my back. But other than that, I'm okay."


The Star
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Star
Actress Kimberly Chia hospitalised due to back pain after brushing her teeth
The 29-year-old says she will undergo physical therapy and arrange for an orthopaedic examination. Photo: Kimberly Chia/Instagram Singaporean actress Kimberly Chia has revealed the 'embarrassing' reason for her recent hospitalisation. She also clarified that her condition was probably caused by a muscle pull or strain and not a slipped disc. 'I was already having back pains. An achy back pain that was bearable which I ignored,' the 29-year-old wrote on Instagram on July 18, posting a video of herself on a stretcher and being sent to hospital. 'Then came Thursday morning, when I was preparing for work and brushing my teeth. I had a gag reflex while brushing my tongue and bent forwards in a jerk.' Chia, who is married to 37-year-old businessman Vincent Yeo and has a three-year-old son, said that was when she felt something 'snap'. 'It was a sharp pain that made me see stars. Blacked out but still conscious,' she wrote. 'I shouted for my husband and he brought me to lie down. I was crying and I couldn't move. Tried to get up, but it hurt so badly. So, we decided to call the ambulance.' 'All was normal, but it still hurts. I was given some pretty heavy painkillers, but my pain score didn't drop,' Chia wrote. 'Couldn't move, couldn't sit up. So, I had to stay one night for observation. It's still painful now, but I feel better and can move about, albeit slowly.' 'Reluctant to share the real reason because so embarrassing?! Haha,' she added. Chia, who rose to fame after starring in the crime drama On The Fringe (2011), made a cameo in horror-comedy film The Chosen One (2024). She told Lianhe Zaobao in an interview that was published online on July 21 after she was discharged from the hospital that she is feeling better. Chia said she will undergo physical therapy and arrange for an orthopaedic examination. The actress, who exercises regularly, said she did not have any previous back injuries. 'I can walk now, but I can't bend over or make big movements, and I have to turn around slowly,' she told the Chinese-language newspaper. 'I can't drive either, because stepping on the accelerator and brake will affect my back. Everything else is OK.' – The Straits Times/Asia News Network