After its “Love Yourself” world tour sweeping across North America and Europe, hit South Korean boyband Bangtan Boys, better known as BTS, has returned to Asia for more shows. The boyband is set to stage two shows on Saturday and Sunday at the Taoyuan International Baseball Stadium, which is capable of accommodating up to 25,000 fans at each show.
To prevent ticket scalpers from selling at excessive prices, buyers had to correctly answer a series of questions about BTS before they purchased tickets. Even then, the 50,000 tickets were sold out in mere minutes. The demand was so high that a ticket originally priced at NT$7,800 (about US$253) was reportedly sold at NT$170,000 by an online scalper.
With the huge success of its new album worldwide, BTS is perhaps the most popular Asian group today. However, controversy arose last month over a photo of member Jimin in a T-shirt featuring a "mushroom cloud" created by an atomic bomb. Japan’s TV Asahi later canceled its performance after the photo went viral online.
Photo: Wang Wen-lin, Liberty Times
照片︰自由時報記者王文麟
(Eddy Chang, Taipei Times)
在其「Love Yourself」世界巡演襲捲北美和歐洲後,南韓天團防彈少年團(BTS)光榮返回亞洲持續熱唱。該團預計週六、週日在桃園國際棒球場舉辦兩場演唱會,每場可容納近兩萬五千名粉絲。
為遏止黃牛高價轉賣,買家必須正確回答關於BTS的問題才得以購票。然而近五萬張門票仍在幾分鐘內完售。因門票太搶手,媒體報導一張原價七千八百元(約兩百五十三美元)的門票,竟被網路黃牛炒作到以十七萬元的天價售出。
隨著新專輯在世界各地都大獲成功,BTS可說是目前人氣最旺的亞洲樂團,不過上個月卻因一張照片而引發爭議,照片中團員Jimin身穿一件印有原爆「蕈狀雲」圖案的圓領衫。由於圖像在網路上瘋傳,日本朝日電視台稍後只好取消該團原訂的表演。
(台北時報張聖恩)
China commemorated 80 years since the end of World War II last week with a massive military parade against a backdrop of a disputed history about who ultimately defeated Japan. The issues, including Japan’s reckoning with its wartime record in China, are bound to flare again in December, a flashpoint anniversary of the mass killing in Nanjing by invading Japanese troops. Below is an explainer about what the different — and disputed — points of view are. WHAT IS CHINA’S VIEW? For the Chinese government sitting in Beijing, this is a clear-cut issue: China sacrificed 35 million people in a heroic and brutal struggle
Rarely does Nature present such a striking contradiction as the one found in Lencois Maranhenses National Park. Located along Brazil’s northeastern coast, the park unveils breathtaking scenery, where rippling sands meet crystal-clear lagoons. Under the sun’s golden glow, the waters glitter in shades of turquoise and emerald. So surreal is this spectacle that visitors might wonder if they’re gazing at a digitally modified photo rather than a living landscape. Were it not for the unique geographical and climatic conditions, such a marvel would not exist. Unlike typical deserts, Lencois Maranhenses receives a substantial amount of rainfall, particularly during the rainy season
A: Wow, animated fantasy film “KPop Demon Hunters” (KDH) has become Netflix’s most viewed film ever. B: Isn’t that the movie about a K-pop girl group secretly serving as demon hunters? A: Yeah, and its theme song “Golden” was No. 1 on the Billboard chart. B: The hit performed by HUNTR/X — the girl group from KDH — has inspired a “Golden challenge,” as celebrities are racing to cover its sky-high notes. A: Cool, let’s try it out. A: 哇,動畫電影《KPop獵魔女團》近日已成為網飛上觀看次數最多的電影。 B: 這部電影不是關於某韓流女團,成員秘密擔任惡魔獵人的故事? A: 對,主題曲《Golden》更勇奪告示牌單曲榜冠軍呢! B: 該曲由電影中的女團「HUNTR/X」所演唱,甚至還掀起一股全球《Golden》大挑戰︰一堆名人挑戰翻唱該曲飆高音。 A: 酷喔我們也來挑戰吧。(By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times/台北時報張迪)
In a major step to combat carbon emissions, Norway’s pioneering “Northern Lights project” is set to expand its carbon capture and storage (CCS) capabilities. Backed by energy giants and the Norwegian government, this collaborative project is working to increase its annual carbon storage capacity from 1.5 million to over five million tons. Northern Lights focuses on capturing CO2 emissions from industrial sources across Europe and securely storing them underground. Captured CO2 will be liquefied and transported by ship to the storage facility located off the coast of Norway. It will be injected through pipes into geological formations about 2,600m below the