The "wardrobe malfunction" has become something of a staple among Taiwanese wannabe celebrities. The most recent happened to Liu Zhen (劉真), when a nipple escaped from her strapless top during a book launch of her photos (of her rather than by her). There is no better way of bringing in the punters than by showing them a glimpse of the real goods. This exploit was given extensive exposure by a shocked media - Next even went so far as to provide an almost clinical close-up of the offending nipple ... so it could be recognized again if seen in public? Zhen's venture follows close on the heels of Vivi Wang's (王婉霏) "black forest incident," when the spokesperson for a car manufacturer showed off her pubic hair while posing for photographers. Despite her agitated response at the time, this incident did nothing to hurt her career.
David Tao (陶吉吉), who seems to be going through a South American phase, has moved on from a passing interest in Brazilian-Japanese model Akemi, to pursuing Guatemalan-Taiwanese model Liz Yang (楊莉思). Yang has already acquired a reputation for pushing the boundaries of good taste with her steamy poses and willingness to let it all hang out, and if Tao's involvement means she features on more magazine covers, it is unlikely that there will be many dissenting voices. Except perhaps Tao himself: Next's motley crew of paparazzi have caught Yang out and about town with fellow model Neill Wan (萬子豪), even though Tao has even gone to the trouble of taking Yang home to meet the folks. Tao is going all out to get his hands on those 32Ds, but clearly Yang is anything but a pushover.
In other romantic news, Shu Qi (舒淇) is salving the wounds of her reported breakup with Wang Lee-hom (王力宏) with looker Hu Bin (胡兵). This is certainly a step down-market, but given her record, the tabloids are already speculating whether she is going to make a move on Takeshi Kaneshiro (金城武), when she gets in front of the camera again to shoot a new costume drama based on the Chinese classic novel Heroes of the Water Margin (水滸傳). She will be playing Pan Jin-lien (潘金蓮), a wily seductress who will, on camera at least, go all out to get her hooks into Kaneshiro.
PHOTO: TAIPEI TIMES
In slightly more uplifting news, Little S (小S) is showing her support for her husband by deciding to have a third child, in the hope that it will be a boy. The celebrity mother has already given birth to two daughters, and in a desire to fulfill husband Mike Hsu's (許雅鈞) wish for a man-child, she has even gone so far as to eat a gecko, which is believed to improve the chances of giving birth to a boy. This refreshing example of selfless behavior on the part of a married celebrity is almost enough to counterbalance the interminable flood of news about faithlessness, sexism and betrayal.
Actress Brigitte Lin (林青霞), who has been going through an extended bad patch over the last few years, seems to have found salvation in Jesus. Once a devout Buddhist, Lin has announced that she has experienced a conversion and has been seen taking her two children to the Franklin Graham Festival, a huge Christian convention in Hong Kong. She says the conversion has helped her defeat depression. Well, the Lord works in mysterious ways.
PHOTO: TAIPEI TIMES
May 18 to May 24 Pastor Yang Hsu’s (楊煦) congregation was shocked upon seeing the land he chose to build his orphanage. It was surrounded by mountains on three sides, and the only way to access it was to cross a river by foot. The soil was poor due to runoff, and large rocks strewn across the plot prevented much from growing. In addition, there was no running water or electricity. But it was all Yang could afford. He and his Indigenous Atayal wife Lin Feng-ying (林鳳英) had already been caring for 24 orphans in their home, and they were in
On May 2, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), at a meeting in support of Taipei city councilors at party headquarters, compared President William Lai (賴清德) to Hitler. Chu claimed that unlike any other democracy worldwide in history, no other leader was rooting out opposing parties like Lai and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). That his statements are wildly inaccurate was not the point. It was a rallying cry, not a history lesson. This was intentional to provoke the international diplomatic community into a response, which was promptly provided. Both the German and Israeli offices issued statements on Facebook
Even by the standards of Ukraine’s International Legion, which comprises volunteers from over 55 countries, Han has an unusual backstory. Born in Taichung, he grew up in Costa Rica — then one of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies — where a relative worked for the embassy. After attending an American international high school in San Jose, Costa Rica’s capital, Han — who prefers to use only his given name for OPSEC (operations security) reasons — moved to the US in his teens. He attended Penn State University before returning to Taiwan to work in the semiconductor industry in Kaohsiung, where he
President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday delivered an address marking the first anniversary of his presidency. In the speech, Lai affirmed Taiwan’s global role in technology, trade and security. He announced economic and national security initiatives, and emphasized democratic values and cross-party cooperation. The following is the full text of his speech: Yesterday, outside of Beida Elementary School in New Taipei City’s Sanxia District (三峽), there was a major traffic accident that, sadly, claimed several lives and resulted in multiple injuries. The Executive Yuan immediately formed a task force, and last night I personally visited the victims in hospital. Central government agencies and the
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