Singer-turned-producer Bao Xiao-bo (包小柏) was assaulted by four gangsters dressed in black at Chinese Television System (華視) studios earlier this week.
While slapping Bao around the ruffians were said to have warned him to watch what he says in the future. Bao was one of the jurists who harshly criticized Ken Yu (余祥銓), the son of veteran entertainer Yu Tien (余天) one month ago, which allegedly trig-gered his nervous breakdown.
Rumors quickly spread, pointing to Yu as a possible mastermind behind the attack. In response Yu swore he would never take such action and condemned the violence. The family drama reached another climax when the apparently vulnerable son suffered yet another breakdown after hearing news of the assault.
A trawl through online chat sites and forums revealed what some members of the public are thinking: it's just no good a guy breaking down every two or three weeks.
Malaysian-born Michelle Yeoh (楊紫瓊) is a sought-after star for both Chinese-language and international mega-budget movies, but not for Jet Li's (李連杰) new kung fu flick Fearless (霍元甲). Her part in the film found it's way onto the editing room floor.
Director Runny Yu (于仁泰) explained that the film would exceed two-hours running time if Yeoh's character was left in. As for Yeoh, the star struck a diplomatic note saying, "I respect the director's decision."
Hong Kong star Jordan Chan (陳小春) has become embroiled in the fallout from Gigi Leung (梁詠琪) and Ekin Cheng's (鄭伊健) split. Hong Kong press reported Leung had complained about Cheng in private after the breakup, saying there had been some bad influences on Cheng and Chan was one of them.
Chan wasted no time retalia-ting in gossip columns by saying, "It's really not a polite thing to say about me ... and I am supportive of Ekin about the split."
Home-grown pretty girl Little S (小S) became a mom last week and like every mom in the world, she believes her baby girl is the cutest thing on earth. "My baby is a super model in the baby world," the exuberant new mom proclaimed.
But the local entertainment industry may lose a potential super star as the family is worried that living conditions in Taiwan are deteriorating and plans to send the baby abroad for a better life.
On a more patriotic note, taike-chic promoters Chang Chen-yue (
The two said the term taimei has nothing to do with petty provincialism and is a compliment for girls who are confident, daring, wear attention-grabbing outfits and don't care about being high-society phonies.
To their mind, Shu Qi (舒淇) is premium taimei material. Also on the top taimei list are Jolin Tsai (蔡依林), Little S, Aboriginal stars A-mei (張惠妹) and Landy (溫嵐).
Local soap-opera actor Chen Zhao-rong (陳昭榮) divulged alarming news last week by admitting he and Mando-diva Faye Wang's (王菲) husband Li Ya-peng (李亞鵬) will be part-ners in an Internet business project. Chen said Li had long wished to leave the hostile showbiz world and with Wang start a new career. So it seems that the diva may step out of the spotlight any minute and become an entrepreneur, or else a supportive housewife.
The Taipei Times last week reported that the rising share of seniors in the population is reshaping the nation’s housing markets. According to data from the Ministry of the Interior, about 850,000 residences were occupied by elderly people in the first quarter, including 655,000 that housed only one resident. H&B Realty chief researcher Jessica Hsu (徐佳馨), quoted in the article, said that there is rising demand for elderly-friendly housing, including units with elevators, barrier-free layouts and proximity to healthcare services. Hsu and others cited in the article highlighted the changing family residential dynamics, as children no longer live with parents,
It is jarring how differently Taiwan’s politics is portrayed in the international press compared to the local Chinese-language press. Viewed from abroad, Taiwan is seen as a geopolitical hotspot, or “The Most Dangerous Place on Earth,” as the Economist once blazoned across their cover. Meanwhile, tasked with facing down those existential threats, Taiwan’s leaders are dying their hair pink. These include former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) and Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁), among others. They are demonstrating what big fans they are of South Korean K-pop sensations Blackpink ahead of their concerts this weekend in Kaohsiung.
Oct 20 to Oct 26 After a day of fighting, the Japanese Army’s Second Division was resting when a curious delegation of two Scotsmen and 19 Taiwanese approached their camp. It was Oct. 20, 1895, and the troops had reached Taiye Village (太爺庄) in today’s Hunei District (湖內), Kaohsiung, just 10km away from their final target of Tainan. Led by Presbyterian missionaries Thomas Barclay and Duncan Ferguson, the group informed the Japanese that resistance leader Liu Yung-fu (劉永福) had fled to China the previous night, leaving his Black Flag Army fighters behind and the city in chaos. On behalf of the
I was 10 when I read an article in the local paper about the Air Guitar World Championships, which take place every year in my home town of Oulu, Finland. My parents had helped out at the very first contest back in 1996 — my mum gave out fliers, my dad sorted the music. Since then, national championships have been held all across the world, with the winners assembling in Oulu every summer. At the time, I asked my parents if I could compete. At first they were hesitant; the event was in a bar, and there would be a lot