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Zhang Yimou 'seven children' claims trigger anger in China

galvatron — Fri, 10 May 2013 05:28:02 GMT

Zhang Yimou 'seven children' claims trigger anger in China

Film director behind opening ceremony for Beijing Olympics faces up to �17m fine if found to have broken 'one child' policy.
Renowned Chinese film director Zhang Yimou, who designed theopening ceremony for the Beijing Olympics, is under investigation over claims he broke strict family planning laws by fathering seven children, state media have reported.The website of the People's Daily, the official Communist party newspaper, quoted suggestions that Zhang could face a fine of up to 160m yuan (�16.75m). Parents can be ordered to pay up to twice their annual income for breaching the law, though it is unclear how the estimate of the director's yearly income was reached. Many avoid fines or pay well below the maximum.
China's one child policy limits most urban couples to one birth but allows rural families to have a second if their first is a girl. Other exemptions include allowing a childless individual whose spouse already has a child to have another.
Violations are increasingly common and there is growing pressure from experts to abolish the law, which was originally designed to last 30 years.
But offenders can face heavy fines, and although forced sterilisations and abortions are illegal they have continued to take place. Disparity in the treatment of those who break the laws has fuelled public anger about inequality.
"It is just a policy for limiting the poor's right to give birth," one angry microblogger wrote in response to the news about Zhang.
Another asked: "Why doesn't China have the world's respect? Look at the rich and officials with flocks of wives and mistresses � If ordinary people had more children they would be punished or fined to death. He is fine.
"Zhang's quality is worse than ordinary people. An unfair society can never receive respect."
The reports followed claims in Chinese media that Zhang had several children with his two wives and two other women. His personal life has been the subject of gossip for years, notably over his long relationship with Gong Li, whom he met when she was a drama student and who starred in many of his films.
The official news agency Xinhua said officials in Wuxi, the hometown of the 61-year-old's second wife, were investigating.
The website of the People's Daily said it was unclear where Zhang's children were born, citing a worker at Jiangsu province's population and family planning commission.
Zhang's Los Angeles-based agent did not immediately respond to a request for comment, Associated Press reported.
link
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013...n-claims-china

'Great loss to local music industry': Tributes over death of singer Sita Chan

galvatron — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 03:32:04 GMT

'Great loss to local music industry': Tributes over death of singer Sita Chan

Pop star Sita Chan died in a car crash early yesterday, just three months after winning TVB's best new female singer award.
Chan, 26, was pulled unconscious from the wreckage of her Lexus which went out of control and crashed on a Yau Ma Tei flyover early yesterday. She was declared dead less than two hours later.
Police said the black sedan rammed a concrete barrier and hit a kerb before slamming into the central divider on Hoi Po Road shortly before 2.30 am.
It was only on Tuesday a photograph of the singer attending a private singing lesson in Tsim Sha Tsui was posted on her Facebook account. In January, Chan - also known as Chan Hei-yi - won best new female singer at the 2012 TVB Jade Solid Gold Best Ten music awards presentation.
"Her death is a great loss to the local music industry," TVB's deputy controller of external affairs Tsang Sing-ming said.
Her death is a great loss to the local music industry
TVB'S DEPUTY CONTROLLER OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS TSANG SING-MING
Hong Kong celebrities also took to social media on Wednesday to express grief and shock.
�This is really hard to believe�we will always remember your smile�RIP Sita,� said mode-turned-singer Shiga Lin Si-nga on her weibo account.
�The first time I heard you singing live I turned to your colleagues and said �this little girl is going to have a great future�. The last time I saw you I told you: 'work hard! Don�t give up'. Right now, all I can say is rest in peace,� said radio personality and DJ Bob Lam Shing-bun.
The front of her car was badly damaged and firefighters had to cut her from the wreckage.
"She suffered fractures to her ribs and had serious head injuries and was in a coma," a police investigator said.
Another officer said she was believed to have broken her neck. Chan was taken to Kwong Wah Hospital, where she was declared dead at 4.16am. An autopsy will be carried out. The investigator said the crash site was not a traffic black spot. Police are appealing for witnesses to contact officers on 2773 5281 or 2773 5388.
Chan was en route to her home in Kowloon West at the time.
Sun Entertainment Culture, with which she signed a contract in 2011, said its managing director Paco Wong and all the staff were shocked and saddened by the singer's death.
Last year, she released two albums Crazy Love and Let Me Find Love and had minor roles in the films Lan Kwai Fong 2 and Love in Time. She held her first concert in June. Yesterday, hundreds of fans left messages of condolences on her Facebook page.
Her parents, relatives and colleagues burned incense and offerings at the site of the crash.
Police figures show that 14 people died in 13 traffic accidents in the first two months of this year.
Link
http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/a...lled-car-crash

R.I.P

Aimee Chan allegedly molested by extras while filming Outbound Love 單戀雙 in Malaysia

galvatron — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 05:19:43 GMT

Aimee Chan alleged

Aimee Chan allegedly was molested by extras while filming for Outbound Love <單戀雙城> in Malaysia.

Tabloids reported that while filming a sexual harassment scene, some extras deliberately took advantage of Aimee and stroked her back, hugged her and even touched her breasts. Although the TVB actress was extremely terrified, none of the cast and working crew stepped in to help her, reports ihktv.

Aimee reportedly was very traumatised by the incident and has related the incident to her boyfriend, Moses Chan in tears. Moses reportedly was very furious over the matter and has complained about the incident to TVB Executive, Ms Virginia.

While attending an event, Niki Chow was asked about the incident. Appearing to be shocked over the news, Niki said, �Is it true? Did Aimee clarify? Perhaps this is just the plot! There are many extras and professional actors during the filming and we can�t decide who to work with.�

http://www.lollipop.sg/stomp/lollipo...allegedly.html .

Joel Chan told ex-girlfriend to pay his credit card bills

spcnet — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 17:18:56 GMT

The Hong Kong actor reportedly asked Florinda Ho to pay his credit card bills after the latter initiated a breakup with him

Hong Kong actor Joel Chan reportedly left his ex-wife two years ago to woo the daughter of Hong Kong's 'King of Gambling'� Stanley Ho.

Despite criticisms from the public that Joel was eyeing the Ho family's wealth, Florinda Ho firmly believed that he was truly in love with her. Rumours of an upcoming marriage broke out several times throughout their years of dating.

However, sources revealed that Joel started asking for money from his girlfriend frequently, claiming that he required funds to start his own fashion business and caf�. Florinda was also asked to request for a house from her mother as their wedding gift.

When the heiress rejected all of his requests, Joel took her no-limit credit card and spent her money freely.

It was said that Florinda finally decided to break up after seeing her boyfriend's true colours. An insider said, 'The credit card bills kept accumulating and Joel continued to ask for money from Florinda. She couldn't take it and finally decided to break up with him.'�

'But he didn't give up and he told her that she should at least help clear his credit card debts first, so he was immediately chased out of the house,'� the insider continued.

Florinda posted a photo of a heart shaped hairpin on her social media site yesterday, along with the comment 'Money=Love'�, indirectly confirming rumours of their break up. She declined to comment on the rumours when reporters contacted her.

Meanwhile, Joel has been staying out of public eye after the rumours surfaced. Reports claimed that the 36-year-old is desperately trying to save the relationship.

Source

Gordon Lam rejects TVB

spcnet — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 17:21:21 GMT

TVB is suffering from a lack of charismatic actors recently, which is why they have been contacting former TVB actors to try to bring them back, including Gordon Lam, but the actor wants nothing to do with the company.
According to Jayne Stars, Gordon revealed, "TVB contacted me last year, but I turned it down without learning further details!"

He added, "I don't see why they need help! Honestly speaking, they are a big company with so many people. There are many new siu sangs every year. I don't have the qualifications to help out. Actually, it's better for them to train new siu sangs than to look for outside helpers. Most importantly, they should look for artists with temperament."
It wasn't that Gordon was not successful back then. When Gordon was working for TVB, his dramas managed to achieve over 40 points in viewership ratings, and he was even the male lead in the anniversary series for four consecutive years. However, he decided to quit due to the redundant workload, and would not consider returning despite that TVB already has a script ready for him.

The 45-year-old actor believed that TVB should be aware that good actors are not all about looks, and train rookie actors and actresses like Mandy Wong and Oscar Leung.

"Drawing the distance closer between the audience is what a real lead actor does. For example, Ha Yu or Liu Wai Hung."

Currently, Gordon is signed under Andy Lau's management company, and has appeared in some well-known Hong Kong movies such as "Cold War". When asked about his career's future, Gordon laughed and said, "I'm greedy! If the Magic Lamp allows me three wishes, I hope I can become a director, a producer, as well as the male lead in the future. I wish to be successful in every position."

Source

TVB seeks to block new free-to-air TV licences

spcnet — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 17:16:27 GMT

A judge asked yesterday why he should accede to TVB's request to intervene in ongoing government deliberations on the issuance of new licences for free-television stations.

Mr Justice Thomas Au Hing-cheung, sitting in the Court of First Instance, was hearing TVB's arguments in seeking leave to apply for a judicial review over the potential licensing of new entrants to the market.

In court filings in January, TVB said the Communications Authority made an "unlawful" recommendation in July when it supported licence applications from three companies.

The television station said reports commissioned before and after the recommendation were replete with errors. It asked the court to stop the Chief Executive in Council, made up of the chief executive and Executive Council, from granting licences to City Telecom-owned Hong Kong Television Network, i-Cable Communications subsidiary Fantastic Television, and PCCW unit HK Television Entertainment Company.

Au asked Gerard McCoy SC, representing TVB, why he should step in if the station still had a chance to submit views to the Chief Executive in Council before it arrived at a decision.

"Why should the court intervene when you can make all your representations to the Chief Executive in Council?" he said. McCoy said TVB had lost a chance to secure a recommendation with better terms. "We are no longer on an even playing field."

TVB received a heavily edited summary of the recommendation only eight months after the authority issued it, he said. The station did not have the necessary access to consultants' reports that led to the recommendation, he said.

Those reports, he said, were "absurdly inaccurate". The writers, for example, claimed the advertising expenditure of free-television stations from 2005 to 2009 was HK$36.2 billion when, according to TVB, it should be HK$12 billion.

He said the authority's consultation had been a "farce" and a "charade" that failed to meet basic requirements.

TVB has committed HK$6 billion in investment from now until 2015. "What's at stake is massive," McCoy said, as any change in the market could affect TVB, a key stakeholder.

He suggested that the judge direct the authority to hear TVB's representations after the station received access to the documents, and then to reconsider its recommendation.

The authority countered that proposal in court. The Chief Executive in Council had yet to make a decision and it was hence too early to conduct a judicial review, Teresa Cheng SC said.

"The entire process has not yet reached its fruits, its decision. It would be fruitless to start reviewing matters now."

Eva Sit, for the Chief Executive in Council, said the process was "far from complete". "Even if there is a defect at an early stage in the process, that does not mean there is prejudice overall."

TVB applied to the courts after ATV failed in March last year to obtain court permission to lodge a judicial challenge.

The judge will give his decision at a later date.

Source