18 FEBRUARY 2015
Cai Guo-Qiang’s Love Affair With Fireworks
Here, ChinaFile presents four of Cai Guo-Qiang’s most iconic firework displays. They include the grand spectacle he created for the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympic Games, the 2014 event in Shanghai before his own solo show, his 2015 welcome for Beijing APEC Summit delegates, and his 2015 Buenos Aires “Tango Fireworks.”
http://www.chinafile.com/reporting-opinion/culture/cai-guo-qiangs-love-affair-fireworks
28 NOVEMBER 2014
Pakistani actress Veena Malik faces 26-year prison sentence for ‘blasphemy’
Bollywood actress Veena Malik and her husband are sentenced to 26 years for roles in television programme based on marriage of Prophet Mohamed’s daughter
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/pakistan/11261473/Watch-Pakistani-actress-Veena-Malik-faces-26-year-prison-sentence-for-blasphemy.html
Director Lou Ye’s ‘Blind Massage’ sweeps Chinese ‘Oscars’
Chinese director Lou Ye’s drama starring blind amateur actors as massage therapists scooped top honours at the Golden Horse Film Awards in Taiwan on Saturday, touted as the Chinese-language “Oscars”.
http://www.chinapost.com.tw/taiwan/arts-&-leisure/2014/11/23/422486/Chinese-star.htm
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/asia/444840/director-lou-ye-blind-massage-sweeps-chinese-oscars
23 NOVEMBER 2014
Chinese star wins big at Golden Horse
Chinese veteran actor Chen Jianbin became the biggest winner at The 51st Golden Horse Awards yesterday, winning in three of the four categories where he was nominated, including best lead actor and best supporting actor
http://www.asianewsnet.net/Chinese-star-wins-big-at-Golden-Horse-67952.html
15 SEPTEMBER 2014
China detains film director Wang Quan’an for hiring prostitute
Beijing police say they have detained film director Wang Quan’an on a charge of prostitution.
http://asiancorrespondent.com/126706/china-detains-film-director-wang-quanan-for-hiring-prostitute/
7 SEPTEMBER 2014
Ladies’ Code singer Rise dies after crash
A second member of South Korean pop group Ladies’ Code has died, four days after the vehicle they were travelling in crashed near Seoul.
http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-29098926
25 MARCH 2014
Nanda: Veteran Bollywood actress dies
Veteran Bollywood star Nanda has died of a heart attack aged 75
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-26729225
15 MARCH 2014
Sandy Lam to marry boyfriend 11 years her junior
Wedding bells may soon be ringing for singer Sandy Lam, 47, in August, reported Chinese entertainment news site Qianzhan.
http://www.divaasia.com/media_photo/29433
7 MARS 2014
Pakistan actress Sana Khan dies in road accident
http://www.dawn.com/news/1091647/actress-sana-khan-dies-in-car-crash-husband-critically-injured
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sana_Khan
15 FEBRUARY 2014
China film noir ‘Black Coal, Thin Ice’ wins Berlin Golden Bear
China’s “Black Coal, Thin Ice” by Diao Yinan about a washed up ex-cop investigating a series of grisly murders won the Berlin film festival’s Golden Bear top prize Saturday.
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/asia/395283/china-film-noir-black-coal-thin-ice-wins-berlin-golden-bear
12 FEBRUARY 2014
China retains grip on foreign film quota
China’s authorities are to retain a strict quota of 34 foreign films a year, contrary to reports they were planning to ease restrictions.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-26152190
11 JANUARY 2014
Actress Keiko Awaji, best known for role in ‘The Bridges at Toko-Ri,’ dies at age 80
Actress Keiko Awaji, known for her role as the girlfriend of a U.S. Navy airman in the 1954 Hollywood movie “The Bridges at Toko-Ri” about the Korean War, died of esophageal cancer at a Tokyo hospital Saturday, her talent agency said. She was 80. http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2014/01/11/national/actress-keiko-awaji-best-known-for-role-in-the-bridges-at-toko-ri-dies-at-age-80/#.UtG5nMvLRMs
29 OCTOBER 2013
Chinese pianist Lang Lang becomes UN messenger of peace
Award-winning Chinese concert pianist Lang Lang has been made a messenger of peace by the United Nations.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-24724328
26 OCTOBER 2013
‘White Storm’ opens HK Asian Film Festival
Lau Ching-wan, Louis Koo and Nicholas Cheung star in the action film about a clash between an undercover cop and a drug lord that director Benny Chan called his most defining work to date.
http://asiancorrespondent.com/114942/white-storm-opens-hk-asian-film-festival/
24 OCTOBER 2013
Manna Dey, legendary Indian singer dies
Legendary Bollywood singer Manna Dey died in hospital today after a five-decade career on the soundtracks of Indian movie classics, reports said. He was 94. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-24649143 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/bollywood/10401257/Bollywood-singer-Manna-Dey-dies.html
28 SEPTEMBER 2013
Miss Philippines crowned Miss World amid Muslim anger
Miss Philippines is crowned Miss World 2013 in a glittering finale on the Indonesian resort island of Bali amid tight security following weeks of hardline Muslim protests.
http://news.asiaone.com/news/asia/miss-philippines-crowned-miss-world-amid-muslim-anger
http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/2013/09/27/2714291/miss-world-2013-winner-revealed.html
19 SEPTEMBER 2013
Nintendo’s Hiroshi Yamauchi dies aged 85
Hiroshi Yamauchi, the man who ran Nintendo for more than 50 years, overseeing the creation of Super Mario, Donkey Kong and Zelda, has died aged 85.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/video-games/nintendo/10320028/Nintendos-Hiroshi-Yamauchi-dies-aged-85.html http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/sep/19/hiroshi-yamauchi
18 SEPTEMBER 2013
Zhang Yimou and Gong Li reunited for new film
Seven years after Curse of the Golden Flower, veteran director Zhang Yimou and his muse Gong Li are together again for his new feature project Gui Lai.
http://www.wantchinatimes.com/news-subclass-cnt.aspx?id=20130918000114&cid=1104
16 SEPTEMBER 2013
Chinese pop star Faye Wong separates from husband, igniting debate on divorce
Faye Wong, one of East Asia’s best-loved pop stars, has announced she is separating from her husband, igniting debate over a divorce crisis in China.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/10312027/Chinese-pop-star-Faye-Wong-separates-from-husband-igniting-debate-on-divorce.html
7 SEPTEMBER 2013
Taiwanese director wins Grand Jury Prize at Venice Film Festival
Taiwanese director Tsai Ming-liang won the Grand Jury Prize for his latest film Jiaoyou (Stray Dogs) at the 70th Venice Film Festival on Saturday.
http://www.wantchinatimes.com/news-subclass-cnt.aspx?id=20130909000058&cid=1104
2 SEPTEMBER 2013
Japan’s Miyazaki to retire after 11 feature films
Oscar-winning director Hayao Miyazaki’s animation studio says “The Wind Rises,” in competition at the Venice Film Festival, will be his last film.
http://asiancorrespondent.com/112769/japans-miyazaki-to-retire-after-11-feature-films/
10 AUGUST 2013
Top South Korean movie star Lee Byung-Hun marries
Top South Korean movie star Lee Byung-Hun, one of the best known faces of the “Korean Wave” of popular culture, married actress Lee Min-Jung on Saturday.
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/asia/364023/top-south-korean-movie-star-lee-byung-hun-marries
13 JULY 2013
Veteran Bollywood villain Pran dies
Veteran Indian film actor Pran Krishan Sikand, popularly known as Pran, has died in Mumbai at the age of 93. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-23300474
14 JUNE 2013
Wong Lilin and Allan Wu announce plans to divorce
Celebrity couple Wong Lilin, 39, and Allan Wu, 40, have announced that they are going their separate ways. http://www.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2BNews/Showbiz/Story/A1Story20130614-429626.html
30 MAY 2013
Rituparno Ghosh: Bengali filmmaker dies in India
Award-winning Indian film director Rituparno Ghosh has died from a heart attack in the city of Calcutta. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-22712973
26 MAY 2013
The Cambodian-French filmmaker director Rithy Panh has been awarded the prize for emerging directors at the Cannes Film Festival for his latest documentary linked to the atrocities and genocide of the Khmer Rouge in the 1970s. http://www.euronews.com/2013/05/26/cannes-award-for-rithy-panh-film-on-life-under-khmer-rouge/
23 MAY 2013
Cannes samples flavours of The Lunchbox, by Indian film director Ritesh Batra
A peek at one of the several films from India at the Cannes Film Festival this year. The Lunchbox, or Dabba screened in the Critic’s Week. http://www.english.rfi.fr/asia-pacific/20130523-Cannes-samples-flavours-lunchbox-indian-film-director-ritesh-batra
17 MAY 2013
Cannes film festival 2013: A Touch of Sin – first look review
This ultraviolent attack on Chinese consumerism is a stunning slap in the face from previously-sedate director Jia Zhang-ke http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2013/may/17/cannes-touch-of-sin-review
9 MAY 2013
Zhang Yimou ‘seven children’ claims trigger anger in China
Renowned Chinese film director Zhang Yimou, who designed the opening ceremony for the Beijing Olympics, is under investigation over claims he broke strict family planning laws by fathering seven children, state media have reported. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/may/09/zhang-yimou-seven-children-claims-china
6 MAY 2013
The Punk music scene in China – video
When the Sex Pistols appeared on the BBC singing God Save the Queen, China was still in the grips of the Cultural Revolution – most music was banned, and Mao ruled supreme. Nearly 40 years later, punk is alive and kicking in Beijing http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/video/2013/may/06/punk-music-scene-china-video
5 MAY 2013
France honours Hong Kong film director
French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius Sunday honoured Hong Kong director Wong Kar-wai, appointing him a Commander of France’s Order of Arts and Letters. http://www.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2BNews/Showbiz/Story/A1Story20130505-420473.html
24 APRIL 2013
India singing legend Shamshad Begum dies
Begum had been in poor health in recent months and died at her residence late on Tuesday, family members told the Press Trust of India (PTI) news agency. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-22275484
10 APRIL 2013
Sexy Tang Wei seduces the silver screen
Tang Wei is a Chinese actress who is famous for her performance in Ang Lee’s movie Lust, Caution in spite of the controversy her racy role caused. http://gbtimes.com/culture/film/sexy-tang-wei-seduces-silver-screen
28 MARCH 2013
Diva Coco Lee is the light of the Chinese
Coco Lee, the first Chinese artist to perform at the Academy Awards, is also the first Chinese singer who entered the music scene in the United States, by releasing an English album. http://gbtimes.com/culture/music/diva-coco-lee-light-chinese
23 MARCH 2013
Zhang Liangying: “Dolphin Princess”
Zhang Liangying (also known as Jane Zhang) is a popular female singer now performing in China and has won awards for best female vocalist from several prominent music festivals for the past few years. http://gbtimes.com/culture/music/zhang-liangying-dolphin-princess
22 MARCH 2013
China becomes world’s second-biggest movie market
China has become the world’s second-biggest movie market, displacing Japan, underscoring its importance as a key market for Hollywood’s moviemakers. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-21891631
13 MARCH 2013
Chinese film ‘Mystery’ wins Asian best picture
A Chinese drama that touches on sensitive topics including police corruption won the best picture at the Asian Film Awards Monday, while Japan’s Takeshi Kitano scooped the best director gong. “Mystery”, directed by Lou Ye, which reportedly upset Chinese censors for dealing with controversial issues such as the behaviour of the country’s new rich, also took home the best newcomer award, won by actress Qi Xi. http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/entertainment/view/1260859/1/.html
25 FEBRUARY 2013
Ang Lee wins Oscar for Best Director
Ang Lee, director of Life of Pi, won the Oscar for Best Director Sunday night at the 85th Academy Awards. In true sharing-the-wealth mode, Oscar voters spread honors among a range of films, with Argo winning three trophies including Best Picture, but Life of Pi still leading with four… http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/763956.shtml
1 FEBRUARY 2013
Japanese pop star’s teary apology after breaking band rules
A Japanese pop star has shaved her head and offered a filmed apology after breaking her management firm’s rules by spending a night with her boyfriend. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-21300776
31 JANUARY 2013
Afghan Female Artist Beats the Odds
Charred bodies lie scattered against blood-stained walls and debris covers the ground. For Afghanistan, the only unusual thing in this gruesome scene is that the blood is red paint – and part of an art installation. It’s a work by Afghan artist Malina Suliman, 23, who risks her life, sometimes working by flashlight after dark, to create art in southern Kandahar province, the birthplace of the Taliban and still one of the country’s most dangerous areas. http://www.voanews.com/content/reuters-afghan-female-artist-beats-the-odds/1593116.html
15 JANUARY 2013
Death of Nagasi Oshima, Japanese film-maker, born on March 3, 1932 http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2013/jan/15/nagisa-oshima http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20130117a3.html
11 JANUARY 2013
Berlin film festival opens with “The Grandmaster”
The fruit of eight years’ labour, it was selected as the opening film for this year’s Berlin Film Festival, where Wong is president of the jury. http://www.euronews.com/2013/01/11/berlin-film-festival-opens-with-the-grandmaster/
Ang Lee claws in 11 Oscar nominations
Taiwan-born Ang Lee’s visually stunning 3D adventure “Life of Pi,” based on the novel by Yann Martel, earned 11 nominations from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, ahead of the Oscars ceremony on Feb. 24. http://www.chinapost.com.tw/taiwan/arts-&-leisure/2013/01/11/366987/Ang-Lee.htm
6 JANUARY 2013
Haradhan Bandopadhyay passes away at 86
Noted screen and stage actor Haradhan Bandopadhyay, who had starred in many celluloid classics of legendary filmmaker Satyajit Ray, passed away after a brief illness. He was 86 http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/Haradhan-Bandopadhyay-passes-away-at-86/articleshow/17907708.cms
4 JANUARY 2013
Girls’ Generation (SNSD) I Got A Boy
Music video and concept photos for I Got A Boy, title track of Girls’ Generation’s 4th Korean studio album which was released on New Year’s Day… http://yeinjee.com/girls-generation-snsd-i-got-a-boy/
22 DECEMBER 2012
‘Gangnam Style’ gallops into internet history
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia-pacific/2012/12/20121222459576172.html
20 DECEMBER 2012
Malaysia’s first 3D animated film makes waves internationally
Malaysia’s first 3D animated film “War of the Worlds Goliath” is making waves internationally; it recently won the Best 3D Animated Feature award at the Los Angeles 3D Film Festival. Set in an alternate 1914 New York, War of the Worlds Goliath is about a second wave alien invasion. The film is a tribute to HG Wells’ novel War of the Worlds, said its producer Leon Tan.
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/entertainment/view/1243626/1/.html
19 DECEMBER 2012
Death of Keiji Nakazawa, Japanese manga artist, born on March 14, 1939
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2012-12-24/barefoot-gen-manga-creator-keiji-nakazawa-passes-away
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keiji_Nakazawa
14 DECEMBER 2012
Bollywood’s Vidya Balan marries Siddharth Roy Kapur
Bollywood actress Vidya Balan has married her boyfriend Siddharth Roy Kapur at a ceremony in the western Indian city of Mumbai.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-20723059
12 DECEMBER 2012
Ravi Shankar, Indian sitar maestro, dies
Legendary Indian sitar player Ravi Shankar, a major influence on musicians ranging from The Beatles to violinist Yehudi Menuhin, has died at the age of 92 after surgery in the United States, his family said Wednesday.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-20690632 http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/entertainment/view/1242390/1/.html
4 DECEMBER 2012
Historic Chinese Drama Sparks Debate About More Recent Past
A recently released movie in China that focuses on a devastating famine the country experienced before the Communist Party came to power is triggering discussions online about a more recent tragedy
http://www.voanews.com/content/historic-chinese-drama-sparks-debate-about-more-recent-past/1558770.html
25 NOVEMBER 2012
China’s ‘Beijing Blues’ wins at Taiwan film fest
China’s “Beijing Blues” has won the best film award and Hong Kong’s Johnnie To took home the best director’s award at Taiwan’s Golden Horse Film Festival, an event considered the Chinese-language Oscars.
http://asiancorrespondent.com/92534/chinas-beijing-blues-wins-at-taiwan-film-fest/
22 NOVEMBER 2012
Red Dawn film replaces Chinese villains with North Koreans
The makers of a Hollywood film which sees a gang invade the US have admitted changing the nationality of the villains from Chinese to North Korean for fear of alienating the lucrative market in China.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/film-news/9697307/Red-Dawn-film-replaces-Chinese-villains-with-North-Koreans.html
9 NOVEMBER 2012
Ang Lee directs “Life of Pi”
Director Ang Lee’s latest project was possibly his most ambitious yet; translating Yann Martel’s best-selling novel The Life of Pi onto the silver screen.
http://www.euronews.com/2012/11/09/ang-lee-directs-life-of-pi/
2 NOVEMBER 2012
Peng Liyuan – from folk star to First Lady
A trained soprano who performs folk songs and appears on TV in front of millions of fans? Oddly enough, I’m not just talking about one of China’s evergreen superstars – I’m also talking about China’s next First Lady, Peng Liyuan.
http://gbtimes.com/third-angle/chinas-leadership-change/features/peng-liyuan-folk-star-first-lady
1 NOVEMBER 2012
France awards Bollywood star Aishwarya Rai Bachchan top culture honour
Indian Bollywood star Aishwarya Rai Bachchan was to be awarded a prestigious French cultural award on Thursday, the French embassy in India announced. The ceremony was to take place in a swish Mumbai hotel on the former Miss World’s 39th birthday.
http://www.english.rfi.fr/asia-pacific/20121101-france-awards-bollywood-star-aishwarya-rai-bachchan-top-culture-honour
29 OCTOBER 2012
China: World’s largest virtual studio finds home in Tianjin Eco-city
Comcast- and GE-owned NBCUniversal is confirmed to build the world’s largest virtual studio in the National Animation Industry Park of Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-city, located 95 miles east of Beijing. Phase one of the construction will complete in April 2013, when Bruce Lee’s unfinished film The Silent Flute will be restored and produced at the facility.
http://asiancorrespondent.com/91275/china-the-worlds-largest-virtual-studio-finds-home-in-tianjin-eco-city/
25 OCTOBER 2012
NICHOLAS TSE’S CANCER SCARE
Hong Kong actor Nicholas Tse‘s (谢霆锋) recent revelation that he suffered from a skin cancer three years ago has shocked his numerous fans.
http://www.maydaily.com/2012/10/25/nicholas-tses-cancer-scare/
21 OCTOBER 2012
Bollywood veteran film-maker Yash Chopra dies
One of India’s most influential film-makers, Yash Chopra, has died from dengue fever in Mumbai, aged 80. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-20023315
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/yash-chopra-king-of-romance-leaves-a-void-in-bollywood/1020177/%22
20 OCTOBER 2012
China: Feng Xiaogang ‘Film Commune’ commences construction
Harking back to pre-Reform China, a Feng Xiaogang-themed resort and shopping center that has been named “Feng Xiaogang Film Commune (Feng Xiaognag dian ying gong she)” held its groundbreaking ceremony in Haikou, China on October 20, 2012.
http://asiancorrespondent.com/91049/chinese-villagers-clash-with-police-over-pollution/
6 OCTOBER 2012
Film shows family torn by NKorea-Japan program
A Japanese film about an ethnic Korean family torn apart by a program to send people to communist North Korea debuted Saturday in South Korea, a poignant tale for a country where millions in the South also remain separated from family members in the North.
http://asiancorrespondent.com/90426/film-shows-family-torn-by-nkorea-japan-program-2/
12 SEPTEMBRE 2012
The Daegu International Body Painting Festival 2012 in South Korea
10 SEPTEMBER 2012
Film adaptation of Midnight’s Children may never be screened in India
A film adaptation of Salman Rushdie’s controversial novel Midnight’s Children may not be screened in India due to its sensitive political content, according to its director, though others point to a simple lack of commercial interest
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/film-news/9533300/Film-adaptation-of-Midnights-Children-may-never-be-screened-in-India.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-19540776
8 SEPTEMBER 2012
South Korean film ‘Pieta’ wins Venice top prize
South Korean director Kim Ki-duk’s drama “Pieta,” the brutal story of a debt collector who cripples those who can’t pay until he meets a woman who claims to be his mother, wins the Golden Lion for best film at the 69th Venice Film Festival
http://asiancorrespondent.com/88951/south-korean-film-pieta-wins-venice-top-prize/
7 SEPTEMBER 2012
The elephant in Shang Wenjie’s room
Often compared to Lady Gaga because of her visual style, the Chinese singer says music, not fashion, comes first.
http://www.asianewsnet.net/home/news.php?id=36106&sec=9
4 SEPTEMBER 2012
Curvy actress Viann Zhang (张馨予) used to charge men for the pleasure of her company, according to a financial veteran’s online revelation.
http://www.maydaily.com/2012/09/04/viann-zhang-for-hire/
3 SEPTEMBER 2012
LI BINGBING PUTS POLITICS FIRST
China actress Li Bingbing (李冰冰) did not attend the world premiere of her first Hollywood film Resident Evil: Retribution, in Tokyo on Monday, due to the escalating sovereignty dispute over the Diaoyu Islands between China and Japan.
http://www.maydaily.com/2012/09/04/li-bingbing-puts-politics-first/
30 AUGUST 2012
Husband of Pakistani singer is arrested over her murder
Ghazala Javed, 24, was shot six times by gunmen on a motorcycle as she left a beauty salon. Her father also died in the attack.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/pakistan/9509022/Husband-of-Pakistani-singer-is-arrested-over-her-murder.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-19432982
26 AUGUST 2012
Indian veteran actor A.K. Hangal dead
Bollywood’s distinguished character artist A.K. Hangal, who endeared himself to the audience by playing the role of the lovable old man in films like Sholay, Shaukeen and Namak Haram, died on sunday following a brief illness. http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article3823957.ece http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A._K._Hangal http://www.hindustantimes.com/Entertainment/Bollywood/Veteran-Bollywood-actor-AK-Hangal-dies-in-Mumbai/Article1-919523.aspx
18 AUGUST 2012
Miss China crowned Miss World 2012
Miss China won the coveted title of Miss World on Saturday, triumphing on home soil in a mining city on the edge of the Gobi desert.
http://www.divaasia.com/media_photo/18026
4 AUGUST 2012
Porn star creates a stir in Bollywood debut
An Indo-Canadian porn star makes her Bollywood debut on Friday in what is expected to be one of India’s raunchiest mainstream movies, which is already raising eyebrows in the sexually conservative country
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/entertainment/view/1217683/1/.html
3 AUGUST 2012
FHM cover girl busted for alleged drug use
She was an FHM cover girl after winning the FHM Girl Next Door contest in March 2009. Now, 22-year-old model and blogger Celestina Tiew is attracting online buzz again, this time for her arrest last week for alleged drug use.
http://www.divaasia.com/article/17835
25 JULY 2012
Bollywood star becomes first Indian to pose nude for Playboy
A Bollywood starlet, Sherlyn Chopra, has become the first Indian woman to pose nude for Playboy, sparking a wave of criticism in her home country where the magazine is banned.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/india/9426510/Bollywood-star-becomes-first-Indian-to-pose-nude-for-Playboy.html
http://wonderwoman.intoday.in/photo/sherlyn-chopra-playboy-posing-nude-was-easy.html/1/2729.html
http://ibnlive.in.com/videos/274098/starlet-sherlyn-chopras-playboy-story.html
20 JULY 2012
Taiwan entertainer Da Bing (大炳) died in Beijing on July 20 due to multiple organ failure caused by pneumonia, at the age of 37
http://www.maydaily.com/2012/07/24/deuce-bigalow-actor-da-bing-dies-age-37/
People interact with 3D paintings at the Magic Art exhibition in China
18 JULY 2012
Bollywood actor Rajesh Khanna dies
The actor, 69, died at his family home in Mumbai on Wednesday after being discharged from hospital earlier this week, the cause of his health problems was unclear. http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia/2012/07/201271892023889660.html http://asiancorrespondent.com/86099/bollywood-superstar-rajesh-khanna-dies/
13 JUNE 2012
Movie review: ‘Caught in the Web’
Chinese director Chen Kaige’s new film “Caught in the Web” is a far cry from his usual style. Featuring a number of famous actors such as Wang Xueqi, Chen Hong, Yao Chen, Gao Yuanyuan and Mark Chao, the film examines a social phenomenon that is very modern and up-to-date in a society increasingly dependent on the Internet. And that’s not the only “modern” part of this film.
http://gbtimes.com/culture/film/news/movie-review-caught-web
12 JULY 2012
Dara Singh, Wrestler and Bollywood Action Hero, Dies at 83
Dara Singh, a popular professional wrestler who parlayed his fame, physique and stouthearted image into a thriving Bollywood film career as India’s first action hero, died on July 12 at his home in Mumbai. He was 83. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/15/movies/dara-singh-83-bollywood-star-and-wrestler-dies.html?_r=1&ref=global-home
9 JULY 2012
Isuzu Yamada, Actress Who Worked With Kurosawa, Dies at 95
Isuzu Yamada, a towering star of the Japanese screen and stage best known in the West for her chilling portrayal of the Lady Macbeth role in Akira Kurosawa’s Shakespeare adaptation “Throne of Blood,” died on July 9 in Tokyo. She was 95.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/16/movies/isuzu-yamada-actress-who-worked-with-kurosawa-dies-at-95.html?src=recg
Top 20 Chinese celebrities in 2012
Jay Chou, a famous Taiwan pop musician, topped the 2012 China Celebrity List, boasting an income of 161 million yuan (US$25.6 million).
http://gbtimes.com/culture/top-20-chinese-celebrities-2012
3 JULY 2012
Chinese Cop film is a triumph
Chinese director Gao Qunshu’s new police movie “Detective Hunter Zhang” is a bold take on Chinese modern society. It is witty, weighty and highly watchable. I have not seen such a well-crafted Chinese film in theater for quite some time.
http://gbtimes.com/culture/film/cop-film-triumph
28 JUNE 2012
Han Hyo-joo Viki 2012 S/S
Korean actress Han Hyo-joo modelling for Viki’s[Kr 2012 S/S fashion collection. These pictures were released in April, so it’s probably more for spring rather than summer
http://yeinjee.com/hanhyojoo-viki-2012-ss/
19 JUNE 2012
Pakistani singer Ghazala Javed shot dead
A glamorous young Pakistani pop singer, who was forced to record her songs in Dubai after being threatened by the Taliban, has been shot dead in an apparent honour killing.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/pakistan/9341956/Pakistani-singer-Ghazala-Javed-shot-dead.html
http://www.voanews.com/content/pakistan_pashto_singer_ghazala_javed_killed/1212905.html
18 JUNE 2012
Thailand’s Got Talent rebuked over topless painter
A contestant auditioning for the popular “Thailand’s Got Talent” show shocked judges and earned producers a government dressing down after she doused her breasts with paint and used them to paint a canvas.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/9338644/Thailands-Got-Talent-rebuked-over-topless-painter.html
31 MAY 2012
Actress Zhang Ziyi in paid-for-sex scandal
Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi’s publicist released a statement on Tuesday dismissing allegations that she had been paid to have sex with a disgraced politician, while promising to sue those media making the claims
http://gbtimes.com/news/actress-zhang-ziyi-paid-sex-scandal
29 MAY 2012
Japan film director Shindo dead at 100
Japanese film director Kaneto Shindo, known for hard-hitting works dealing with human nature and the effects of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, has died at his home in Tokyo, his office said Wednesday 30
http://www.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2BNews/Showbiz/Story/A1Story20120530-349457.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2012/may/30/kaneto-shindo?newsfeed=true
27 MAY 2012
Lady Gaga calls off Indonesia concert
A show by pop diva Lady Gaga in Indonesia has been cancelled after religious conservatives threatened “chaos” if she entered the world’s most populous Muslim-majority nation
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia-pacific/2012/05/201252744957169990.html http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/05/27/gagas-romance-with-indonesian-little-monsters-ends-badly.html
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/05/27/gaga-cancellation-reflects-weak-govt-setara.html
25 MAY 2012
Nicholas Tse and Cecilia Cheung officially divorced, says Cheung’s manager
Cheung’s manager confirmed that Cheung had on Sunday received legal documents finalising her divorce from Tse, reported Hong Kong media This marks the end of the couple’s six-year marriage. The pair quietly got married in the Philippines back in 2006, so quietly in fact that even their parents didn’t know about it
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/entertainment/view/1203487/1/.html
19 MAY 2012
Gong Li’s Singaporean husband confirms divorce rumours
China-born actress Gong Li’s husband, Singaporean businessman Ooi Hoe Seong, confirmed on Wednesday that they got divorced three years ago, reported Chinese media. Ooi revealed that they had “never quarrelled” in their 13 years together, but eventually decided to amicably part ways in 2009 because of the nature of their work
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/entertainment/view/1202051/1/.html
18 MAY 2012
Jackie Chan has announced his retirement as an action star, saying he is too old for stunts and the world is “too violent”. The 58-year-old actor said he felt “really, really tired” after decades of pushing his body to the limit. Chan is known for performing almost all of his own stunts.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/culturepicturegalleries/9274794/Jackie-Chan-in-pictures.html
15 MAY 2012
‘Vulgar’ Lady Gaga refused entry by Indonesia for sold-out show
Lady Gaga has been declined a permit to perform in the world’s largest Muslim country after fundamentalist groups said her risque outfits and dance moves would undermine Islamic values and corrupt the country’s youth.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/indonesia/9266533/Vulgar-Lady-Gaga-refused-entry-by-Indonesia-for-sold-out-show.html
http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Lady-Gaga-concert-cancelled,-dangerous-for-Indonesian-culture-24752.html
7 MAY 2012
Ai Shangzhen: The golden ratio model
23-year-old Chinese model and TV host Ai Shangzhen (艾尚真) has recently enjoyed some sensational publicity after China’s netizens began praising her for being the country’s ‘number one golden ratio model’
http://gbtimes.com/lifestyle/ai-shangzhen-golden-ratio-model
4 MAY 2012
Jay Chou tops Forbes’ China celebrity 100 list
Mandopop’s golden boy Jay Chou beat Hong Kong megastar Andy Lau to top Forbes‘ China Celebrity 100 list this year, reported The Daily Chilli. The 33-year-old Taiwanese superstar had a stellar year, achieving success in different areas of his career
http://www.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2BNews/Showbiz/Story/A1Story20120504-343957.html
28 APRIL 2012
Lady Gaga criticizes Korean government’s decision
U.S pop star Lady Gaga wowed some 50,000 people in the audience at the Olympic stadium in Seoul with her provocative but creative stage costumes and performances.Riding on to the stage on a horseback, clad in a futuristic body suit and metal headpieces designed by Italian fashion power house Giorgio Armani specially for the concert, Lady Gaga made her first official appearance here, saying the past week felt like a month to her.
http://www.koreaherald.com/national/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20120428000062
22 APRIL 2012
Beijing film festival opens amid China’s movie industry boom
China recently overtook Japan to become the largest foreign market for American films, and the number of screens doubled in five years to 10,700 at the end of last year.
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/movies/la-fi-ct-beijing-film-fest-20120421,0,65477.story
21 APRIL 2012
Malaysian singer Ning wants a baby
After four years of domestic bliss, there’s something on singer Ning Baizura’s mind – a child. “My husband (Omar Shariff) was so busy being my manager and building my beauty businesses, that we really didn’t have the time. Now, I’ll be getting someone else to be my manager, so that I can have babies with my husband,” she jokes
http://www.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2BNews/Showbiz/Story/A1Story20120421-341192.html
16 APRIL 2012
Married actress Kitty Zhang and her mystery man
Chinese actress Kitty Zhang of CJ7 fame was recently photographed by paparazzi stepping out of a hotel, holding hands with a mystery man
http://news.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2BNews/Showbiz/Story/A1Story20120416-339984.html
3 APRIL 2012
Chinese dancer becomes cultural icon after sex change operation
http://video.msnbc.msn.com/rock-center/46932324#46932324
31 MARCH 2012
From obscurity to Zhang Yimou’s lead actress
She is Chinese director Zhang Yimou’s latest muse. Nanjing-born Ni Ni has been plucked from obscurity to star as the lead actress in his latest hit The Flowers Of War, which also stars Hollywood actor Christian Bale.
http://www.divaasia.com/media_photo/16376
21 MARCH 2012
Japanese pop icon marries man almost 20 years younger
One of Japan’s best-known pop stars said on Wednesday that she has married a fellow musician nearly 20 years her junior, setting off a frenzy in the country’s tabloid press. Miwa Yoshida, 46, the lead singer of Dreams Come True which has sold about 50 million albums worldwide, announced on her New York-based blog that she tied the knot with Juon, the 27-year-old lead singer for rock band Fuzzy Contro
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/entertainment/view/1190331/1/.html
17 MARCH 2012
Yang Xuefei: A lady and a guitar
Yang Xuefei is one of the most awarded and well-known guitarists in the world. This Beijing-born lady has come a long way from being a lonely crusader to becoming a celebrated artist
http://www.xuefeiyang.com/index.html
http://radio86.com/culture/music/yang-xuefei-lady-and-guitar
7 MARCH 2012
It’s hard to believe that Tokyo-born, Oklahoma-based artist Juuri has been practicing her hand at fine art painting for just a little over a year. In that time, she has grasped not only the art of painting, but her own style of visual presentation. Juuri accurately defines her own art, saying, “My work portrays the delicate beauty of the female face enveloped by traditional Japanese patterns, gold leaf, and strategic paint drips. I explore the juxtaposition of realism and non-objectivity, tradition and modernism, innocence and mortality.”
Being three-quarters Japanese and born in Japan, Juuri’s work exhibits high concentrations of Japanese motifs. The color-blasted paintings are infused with Japanese influences while maintaining a sense of modern, somewhat punk aesthetics. There is an amalgamation of contradictory forces that play remarkably well together. Within the same frame, we see a woman in traditional Japanese garb in an untraditionally sexual pose amidst a surge of color. Behind her is the golden silhouette of a fox, referencing an old Japanese tale in which a fox turns into a woman. There is a coexistence of modern and traditional styles present in her work, right down to her red stamped signature
http://bbs.chinadaily.com.cn/thread-735350-1-1.html
2 MARCH 2012
Zhang Yimou to stage opera for London Olympics
China’s top film director Zhang Yimou, who engineered the spectacular opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, is about to stage an opera in London as part of the arts shows leading up to the 2012 London Olympics
http://radio86.com/culture/music/news/zhang-yimou-stage-opera-london-olympics
29 FEBRUARY 2012
Actress Bai Jing killed in alleged murder-suicide
Chinese actress Bai Jing, 29, was killed allegedly in a domestic dispute with her husband on Tuesday 28 at their home in Beijing’s eastern Chaoyang District, police said
http://radio86.com/culture/film/news/actress-bai-jing-killed-alleged-murder-suicide
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIicrhmI_fQ
27 FEBRUARY 2012
Pakistan celebrates documentary Oscar win
A Pakistani director has won her country’s first Oscar for Saving Face, a short documentary about acid attacks on women and those who help them recover
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia/2012/02/2012227131351116533.html
http://india.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/02/27/documentary-on-disfigured-women-in-pakistan-wins-oscar/
17 FEBRUARY 2012
Bollywood’s Amitabh Bachchan may undergo more surgery
Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachchan, who had successful abdominal surgery last week, has tweeted that he may have to undergo a second operation
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-17071218
16 FEBRUARY 2012
Korean star Lee Joon Ki discharged from military
KOREAN wave star Lee Joon Ki, who gained huge popularity in Korea and other Asian countries for his starring role in the hit movie “The King and the Clown” (2005), returned to his fans Thursday morning after completing his two-year military service.
http://www.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2BNews/Showbiz/Story/A1Story20120216-328363.html
13 FEBRUARY 2012
Taiwanese singer Feng Fei Fei dies from lung cancer
Taiwanese singer Feng Fei Fei passed away on January 3 in Hong Kong at about 3.19am, said the family’s lawyers at a press conference held in Hong Kong today. According to her wishes, Feng’s death was kept as a secret for over a month, as the Lunar New Year was approaching and she did not want her fans to receive the bad news
http://www.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2BNews/Showbiz/Story/A1Story20120213-327640.html
11 FEBRUARY 2012
Japanese star charged with Taiwan taxi driver assault
A Japanese entertainer has been charged with attacking a Taiwanese taxi driver, prosecutors said Saturday, in an incident that has triggered public anger on the island. Singer-actress Makiyo faces a four-year jail term for allegedly being involved in the assault and then trying to cover up her role, they said
http://www.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne%2BNews/Asia/Story/A1Story20120211-327313.html
7 FEBRUARY 2012
SPICA, Doggedly, Lee Hyori
Music video of Doggedly by rookie group SPICA, starring pop star Lee Hyori. The group members are not in the MV, which I’m always unsure if it’s a good idea. But they got Hyori, which was how I discovered the song in the first place. Embedded further below is a practise video of the group, and some Hyori photos + a SPICA concept pic…
http://yeinjee.com/2012/spica-doggedly-lee-hyori/
28 JANUARY 2012
Eiko Ishioka dies at 73; graphic designer and art director
As Japan’s preeminent graphic designer and art director in the 1970s and early ’80s, Eiko Ishioka helped build her reputation by heading media campaigns for Parco, a major boutique shopping complex chain
http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-eiko-ishioka-20120128,0,7335528.story
27 JANUARY 2012
South Korea’s Pop Wave
South Korean pop music known as ‘K-Pop’, is flourishing around the world, finding new fans across Asia, Europe and the US
http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/101east/2012/01/201212673348120626.html
25 JANUARY 2012
Zhang Yimou’s epic fails to make Oscar cut
The 84th Academy Awards will be handed out on February 26 in California. Zhang Yimou’s war epic The Flowers of War will not be contending for the title of best foreign language film
http://radio86.com/culture/film/news/zhang-yimous-epic-fails-make-oscar-cut
17 JANUARY 2012
Japan’s pop princess Ayumi to divorce Austrian hubby
Japanese pop princess Ayumi Hamasaki is to divorce her Austrian actor husband Manuel Schwarz after just a year of marriage, local media reported Tuesday 17
http://www.divaasia.com/media_photo/15694
15 JANUARY 2012
T-ara – Lovey Dovey music video & pics
Korean pop group T-ara has released Lovey Dovey, a follow up track to Cry Cry. The 20-minute music video is a drama-sequel to the Cry Cry video, starring actors Cha Seung-won, Ji Chang-wook and a couple of the T-ara members. Also included in the MV is We Were In Love – a collaboration between T-ara and Davichi. Embedded further below is the dance practise video with full song without the drama fuss…
http://yeinjee.com/2012/tara-lovey-dovey-music-video-pics/
1 JANUARY 2012
China’s top ten men
Hong Kong actor and singer Andy Lau (刘德华) knocked Jackie Chan (成龙) off his perch to become the top star in China in 2011, according to the 2011 China Celebrity 100 list published by Forbes Magazine.
http://www.maydaily.com/2012/01/01/chinas-top-10-men/
23 DECEMBER 2011
Sonija Kwok over 3 months pregnant
Hong Kong actress Sonija Kwok, 37, recently announced to the Hong Kong media that she is more than three months pregnant
http://www.divaasia.com/article/15476
4 DECEMBER 2011
Bollywood’s ‘Gregory Peck’, Dev Anand, dies at 88
Bollywood romantic hero and fashion icon Dev Anand has died aged 88, prompting a flood of tributes Sunday from across India’s Hindi-language cinema industry
http://www.asianage.com/india/bollywood-s-gregory-peck-dev-anand-dies-88-144
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-16021433
2 DECEMBER 2011
Row over Pakistan actress Veena Malik nude ‘ISI’ photo
A row has erupted over an image of Pakistani actress Veena Malik sporting the initials ISI on her arm, with FHM India insisting it is not fake
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-16008958
7 NOVEMBER 2011
Wonder Girls – Be My Baby MV & pics
Korean pop group Wonder Girls are making a comeback with their second full length album, Be My Baby. Check out the title track MV and some concept photos…
http://yeinjee.com/2011/wonder-girls-be-my-baby-music-video-pics/
3 NOVEMBER 2011
Zhang Ziyi attends 6th Roma Film Festival
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/photo/2011-11/03/c_131227115.htm
Selina Jen – Everyone Who Loves Me
by Taiwanese singer Selina Jen of pop group S.H.E. The song was released a few days prior to her wedding on October 31 – as a thank you message to people who supported her all this while.
http://yeinjee.com/2011/selina-jen-thank-you-everyone-who-loves-me/
2 NOVEMBER 2011
Edison Chen admits to dating 16-year-old schoolgirl amidst new scandal
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/entertainment/view/1163260/1/.html
