Fallout from the Edison Chen (陳冠希) online sex-photo scandal rages on in the tribulation of Cecilia Cheung’s (張柏芝) troubled marriage to Nicolas Tse (謝霆鋒).
A touching little performance at Bangkok International Airport in April in which the couple seemed to have made up their differences seems to have been just that, with Next magazine (壹週刊) gleefully reporting that Tse was conspicuously absent from his wife’s birthday party on May 24.
This could simply be because he is busy helping in quake relief efforts in Sichuan Province, China, but the fact that Cheung, 28, seems to be spending most of her time at her mom’s and sister’s homes suggests that this is more than just a momentary separation for the celebrity couple.
PHOTO: TAIPEI TIMES
Cheung, who used to be often seen sporting expensive designer labels, is dressing down these days. Next reports that she has earned virtually no income since the scandal broke.
Other girls are better at making use of their assets than others, and TV personality Wu Wen-hsian (吳玟萱), 36, has parlayed her 36D breasts into a lucrative endorsement package for Cutie Bra, despite being over 30, a divorcee and a single mother. But all was not left to nature, and Wu is reported to have overcome the effects of gravity with a little surgery two months ago, which has put her peaks back firmly where they belong — in front of the camera.
Reality talent shows continue to churn out more fodder for gossip hounds. Last week’s celebrity was Chang Yun-ching (張芸京), the androgynous singer and favorite of SetTV’s talent show Super Idol (超級偶像), the main rival to CTV’s One Million Star (超級星光大道). Chang’s handsome looks have won her a huge female fan base, and this led to problems with her “best-friend” and bandmate Chang Wei-lun (張維倫). The lesbian frisson gives the story just that much more appeal, and Next reports that Chang Yun-ching dropped all her commitments in Taipei to get her friend back after she returned to Hualien, supposedly jealous at Chang’s success. Next magazine reports that as a pledge, Chang will sing one of her friend’s own composition for the final of Super Idol tomorrow. It is the stuff that huge television ratings are made of.
PHOTO: TAIPEI TIMES
Another love story that has the media rumor mill spinning involves Janet Hsieh (謝怡芬), host of the Fun Taiwan show that airs regularly on Discovery’s Travel and Living channel. Next magazine reports that she has recently become involved with her manager Li Ching-bai (李景白), who is — horror of horrors — 16 years her senior. Certainly Li seemed to be doing more than his job description as an agent in looking after Hsieh’s parents when they visited last month. Next even suggests that in accepting a job to produce Ohaeva for Videoland (緯萊電視網), he is taking a step to helping Hsieh fulfill her acting ambitions.
This strategy seems to be what all the local celebs want these days. Lin Chi-ling (林志玲), Taiwan’s top fashion model, has now made it to the big screen in John Woo’s (吳宇森) Red Cliff. When asked about her acting skills in an interview with Sina.com on Monday, co-star Tony Leung Chiu Wai (梁朝偉) replied that “she was very polite. Although she’s not a professional, she worked very hard.” It’s hard to get more damning than that in the Chinese movie press.
Jason Han says that the e-arrival card spat between South Korea and Taiwan shows that Seoul is signaling adherence to its “one-China” policy, while Taiwan’s response reflects a reciprocal approach. “Attempts to alter the diplomatic status quo often lead to tit-for-tat responses,” the analyst on international affairs tells the Taipei Times, adding that Taiwan may become more cautious in its dealings with South Korea going forward. Taipei has called on Seoul to correct its electronic entry system, which currently lists Taiwan as “China (Taiwan),” warning that reciprocal measures may follow if the wording is not changed before March 31. As of yesterday,
The Portuguese never established a presence on Taiwan, but they must have traded with the indigenous people because later traders reported that the locals referred to parts of deer using Portuguese words. What goods might the Portuguese have offered their indigenous trade partners? Among them must have been slaves, for the Portuguese dealt slaves across Asia. Though we often speak of “Portuguese” ships, imagining them as picturesque vessels manned by pointy-bearded Iberians, in Asia Portuguese shipping between local destinations was crewed by Asian seamen, with a handful of white or Eurasian officers. “Even the great carracks of 1,000-2,000 tons which plied
It’s only half the size of its more famous counterpart in Taipei, but the Botanical Garden of the National Museum of Nature Science (NMNS, 國立自然科學博物館植物園) is surely one of urban Taiwan’s most inviting green spaces. Covering 4.5 hectares immediately northeast of the government-run museum in Taichung’s North District (北區), the garden features more than 700 plant species, many of which are labeled in Chinese but not in English. Since its establishment in 1999, the site’s managers have done their best to replicate a number of native ecosystems, dividing the site into eight areas. The name of the Coral Atoll Zone might
Nuclear power is getting a second look in Southeast Asia as countries prepare to meet surging energy demand as they vie for artificial intelligence-focused data centers. Several Southeast Asian nations are reviving mothballed nuclear plans and setting ambitious targets and nearly half of the region could, if they pursue those goals, have nuclear energy in the 2030s. Even countries without current plans have signaled their interest. Southeast Asia has never produced a single watt of nuclear energy, despite long-held atomic ambitions. But that may soon change as pressure mounts to reduce emissions that contribute to climate change, while meeting growing power needs. The
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