Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have taken big steps forward to heal wounds after their 11-year relationship descended into a vicious break-up that was played out in public.

Pitt, 53, was recently allowed an overnight stay with his six kids, aged eight to 15, for the first time in months since Jolie filed for divorce in September last year, reported Entertainment Tonight.

The 41-year-old actress has full physical custody of the children.

Read also: Angelina Jolie breaks silence on split with Brad Pitt: It was a very difficult time

Jolie filed for divorce after actor Pitt was accused of getting into a fight on a flight that allegedly involved one or more of their children.

In another sign of calmer waters, E! Online reported that she has splashed out US$25 million (S$34.9 million) on a new home so that the kids will be just a couple of streets away from the house they once shared with their father in Los Feliz in California.

“Going back and forth from Malibu was far and inconvenient,” an insider said.

“They will be moving in this summer and will continue to see Brad more regularly.”

There have been other recent signs that the couple are doing all they can for the sake of their children.

In January, the two superstars agreed to take their very public quarrel private, reported the Daily Mail, and thrash out the children custody issues with a judge.

In February, when Jolie was in Cambodia to promote her movie First They Killed My Father, she told the BBC: “We are and forever will be a family.

“And so that is how I’m coping. I’m coping with finding a way through to make sure this somehow makes us stronger and closer.”

“Angelina regrets the way she handled certain things and wants to be at peace with Brad,” E! Online also cited a friend of the couple as saying.

And Pitt “will continue to put the kids first and not say anything negative about their mother”, the friend added.

BEIJING – Cherie Chung has lived alone for almost 10 years now and she enjoys her solitude.

After the death of her husband, advertising executive Michael Chu, in 2007, the former actress has led a fulfilling life, pursuing interests such as philosophy, music, photography, reading, gardening and cooking.

“My life is the happiest now,” she said in an interview with Lianhe Zaobao.

She was baptised a Catholic in 2009, in accordance with her late husband’s last wishes.

A keen photographer, she has held exhibitions of her works and most recently collaborated with South Korean skincare company AmorePacific to photograph the natural and cultural scenery of Jeju Island.

She is also a frequent visitor to Singapore – where a younger sister lives – and France.

Chung, 57, starred in iconic Hong Kong films including Once A Thief (1991), An Autumn’s Tale (1987) and Peking Opera Blues (1986), but it is a life she does not miss.

“One day, I suddenly found that I didn’t like others giving me a timetable, dictating what I do at what time. I wanted to control my own time. Now, I’m very happy, doing the things I choose and like every day. If I feel like being on my own, I am. If I don’t feel like meeting people, I don’t. Everything is controlled by me.”

She was speaking at French jeweller Chaumet’s event in Rosewood hotel in Beijing, where she and fellow guests, actresses including Gao Yuanyuan, Kirsten Dunst and Audrey Tautou, were dubbed “two generations of goddesses” by the Hong Kong media.

What do you think of being dubbed a “goddess”?

Every actress is a goddess now. But I’m not a goddess, I’ve never put this title on myself, so I have no burden. The world is so big, with so many beautiful women. I’ve never felt I’m beautiful, so I dare not watch my movies. I’m conscious that they’re not perfect.

Actresses have nips and tucks to look young. Will you?

Do I need it? I dare not. Everyone knows what I look like. If I became too beautiful suddenly, I couldn’t accept it either. I don’t have to be too beautiful. Age is age. It doesn’t matter if no one looks at me. If they don’t like looking at me, they don’t have to.

Which fashion designers do you follow?

I don’t particularly follow fashion trends. I also like architecture, music, furniture and design, which are in the same vein as fashion. I like some less mainstream brands, such as Nordic brand Acne and French brand Jacquemus. I like freshness and understanding young people’s ideas through fashion. I think you must dress to fit the occasion and your age.

But you look young enough to dress younger.

(Laughs and blushes) I’m now more concerned about the shapes and contours of clothes and the tricks to looking thin.

Your daily interests are gardening and cooking.

My house has a balcony on which I plant spices, which I use when I’m cooking. My balcony is covered and not suitable for planting flowers, but orchids grow well on it, so a lot of orchids have been planted there. I love gardens and often go hiking. Every time I go to Singapore, I’ll go to the Botanic Gardens.

How often do you visit Singapore?

Twice a year. I like the tropical climate. When Hong Kong is too cold, I go to Singapore. I like how Singapore has a lot of outdoor restaurants. I like the heat, but not all year round.

How do you stay in good health?

Life must be interesting so you have something to look forward to when you get up every morning.

I like the morning air, sun and breeze. I have an assistant only when I’m working. Usually, I take care of big and small things personally, going to the market early in the morning, planning my next trip. For example, I do my homework before I go to France, planning what to eat and what to see. I like travelling alone. Sometimes I’m alone on the road, sometimes I meet friends there.

I enjoy my solitude very much. I like to be alone.

Has it always been like that?

Of course it was different before. I had a companion. To live is to understand that life isn’t perfect. If you don’t understand that, you will always feel that life is lacking.

This article was first published on April 29, 2017.
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Youngsters below 18 years old must pay taxes if they earn an income of more than RM34,000 (S$10,950) annually, reports BH Ahad.

Star of reality TV show Lara Oh Lara, three-year-old Lara Alana, who has close to three million Instagram followers, will start paying taxes this year.

Her celebrity parents Awal Ashaari and Scha Alyahya hired an agent to settle these financial matters.

“Lara already has her own income tax file with the Inland Revenue Board and will start paying this year,” said Scha.

Child actresses Puteri Balqis, 10, and Mia Sara, 12, will also be paying taxes.

Whether they were good or otherwise, singer Farahdhiya is thankful for all the men who had ever been in her life.

Mingguan Malaysia reported that the 33-year-old, whose full name is Farahdhiya Mohd Amin, said the presence of these men had made her a more mature person.

Her father, Mohd Amin Zubir, 65, is the man she loves the most. She would cook for him every day.

Farahdhiya, who was in the singing competition Gegar Vaganza, also revealed that she was dating someone four years ago.

They had already planned to buy a house together but the relationship ended when she found out that he was already married.

She also spoke about being unruffled now by questions about marriage.

“I can’t fight fate if one day, my match is somebody’s husband. But as a woman, of course I want a bachelor or a widower as my life partner,” she said.

Nicholas Tse attended the dinner banquet for East Meets West in Bali and enjoyed the sunny beach there a few days ago.

On April 27, he returned to Hong Kong and failed to conceal his identity despite wearing black shades, report Asian E-News Portal and Mingpao.

Read also: Blogger claims Faye Wong and Nicholas Tse have broken up

Nicholas readily agreed to every single air stewardess wanting to take photos with him.

He was snapped wearing an eye mask to sleep in one of the photos.

Netizens praise Nicholas for looking very dashing and friendly, and that he is indeed popular wherever he goes.

Visit STOMP for more stories.

Ja Rule and the Fyre Festival are facing a $100 million (S$140 million) lawsuit after the “luxury” music festival in the Bahamas they charged up to $49,000 to attend was plagued by terrible housing arrangements, food issues, thieves and feral dogs.

Concertgoers reported an organizational mess that failed to live up to the marketing material. The “Private Luxury Villas” Fyre Festival had promised for housing ended up being USAID disaster-relief tents. Services like baggage handling and guest assistance, too, didn’t meet guests’ expectations.

And while Ja Rule and organizers issued an apology, it didn’t satisfy people upset with the artist:

Shortly thereafter, a class-action lawsuit representing attendees was filed against Ja Rule, co-founder Billy McFarland and Fyre Media, the company that runs Fyre Festival. Geragos & Geragos, a firm that has represented high-profile clients such as Chris Brown and Michael Jackson, is handling the case.

According to the lawsuit, Fyre Festival’s conditions were dangerous, unsuitable and completely at odds with what was promised.

“The festival’s lack of adequate food, water, shelter, and medical care created a dangerous and panicked situation among attendees – suddenly finding themselves stranded on a remote island without basic provisions – that was closer to “The Hunger Games” or “Lord of the Flies” than Coachella,” the suit, filed in a US District Court in California, said.

The suit alleges that the organizers were aware months in advance that the festival was “dangerously under-equipped and posed a serious danger to anyone in attendance” and is seeking damages in excess of $100 million.

That’s on top of what the company already offered in a statement:

“All festival goers this year will be refunded in full,” the statement said. “We will be working on refunds over the next few days and will be in touch directly with guests with more details. Also, all guests from this year will have free VIP passes to next year’s festival.”

“Thank you for all your continued patience and understanding. We apologise for what all of our guests and staff went through over the last 24 hours and will work tirelessly to make this right.”

Boy wonder Jaden Smith recently got a haircut.

But fortunately, since one strand of his hair contains the infinite wisdom of galaxies not yet discovered by mankind, he held onto the dreads chopped off by his very embarrassing dad.

Now, his dreads have made their red carpet debut as an independent entity at the Met Gala.

Human hair is a good accessory.

Read the full article here.

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