Authorities are investigating a Shanghai-based fried chicken chain for possible violations of social order over its sexually suggestive name – “Call a Chick” – and menu items, the Shanghai Daily reported on Tuesday.

Chick, or chicken, is slang for prostitute in Chinese. The newspaper said the restaurant offered menu items that included “virgin chick” (spring chicken) and “chick’s sex partner” (beverages), among others.

It also ran a suggestive promotion slogan titled “Satisfying all your expectations over chicks”.

The newspaper said Call a Chick first came under fire in the western province of Sichuan when a woman complained to the media after her 8-year-old son kept asking her its meaning.

The Shanghai Industrial and Commercial Administrative Bureau said it had launched an investigation, the newspaper said.

“The content involved could violate social order,” it quoted Li Hua, deputy director of the advertisement department of the bureau, as saying.

Laws ban advertisements that undermine public order or violate ethical standards. Offenders can face fines of up to 1 million yuan (US$145,135) and have their business license revoked, the Shanghai Daily said.

The company explained in a microblog posting at the weekend that it had been targeting 18-28-year-olds. It acknowledged that its market had changed and that the language in its marketing and menu were no longer appropriate and had been fixed.

It also apologised to the woman in Chengdu and any other customers who found the language “ill-suited”.

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2016-05-29 16:11:20

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Lobster and sex at Beijing fetish restaurant

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BANGKOK – Thailand’s attorney general said on Wednesday it would charge the abbot of a powerful Buddhist sect and four others suspected of money laundering in the latest twist of a long-running saga that has divided Thai Buddhism.

Police in the predominantly Buddhist country have tried several times to arrest Phra Dhammachayo, abbot of Wat Phra Dhammakaya, a futuristic-looking monastery located some 50 km (30 miles) north of Bangkok.

“Prosecutors have agreed to charge Phra Dhammachayao of Dhammakaya temple on charges of conspiracy to launder money, money laundering and receiving stolen goods,” Somnuek Siangkong, spokesman of the Office of the Attorney General, told Reuters.

Thailand’s Department of Special Investigation in 2015 summoned Phra Dhammachayo for questioning after his temple was accused of receiving more than 1 billion baht (S$41 million) of embezzled funds.

Prosecutors in charge of the case have postponed a decision to charge the monk four times while Phra Dhammachayo has failed to show up for police questioning, citing ill health.

The controversy over Phra Dhammachayo, 72, has fuelled a feud between traditionalists in Thai Buddhism and those who support more modern sects.

The country’s dominant religion has come under repeated scrutiny following a series of sex, drugs and money scandals involving several temples and monks over the years.

Critics say that the Dhammakaya Temple, which says it has millions of followers around the world, is too money-focused and encourages financial donations as a way to gain good karma.

They also say it strays from the Theravada Buddhism practiced by millions of Thais. The temple denies this.

The attorney general’s office on Wednesday said the statute of limitations in the case against Dhammachayo was 15 years and that police would have to arrest Dhammachayo within that time.

Phra Sanitwong Wuttiwangso, the temple’s public relations chief, said Dhammachayo was at the temple and has not fled abroad.

“Our abbot is very sick and cannot travel outside the temple grounds,” he said.

Read Also:
Scandal-hit monk Phra Dhammachayo barred from leaving Thailand
Thai temple under probe not returning donations

Is K-pop star Rain over the hill?

Yes, on his home turf.

The 34-year-old singer-actor’s dipping popularity in South Korea has been glaring.

In 2014, his last studio effort, Rain Effect, was a washout. The album’s singles, 30 Sexy and La Song, failed to make the Top 10 on major charts Naver, Daum and Melon.

And his fellow countrymen haven’t showed much love for his recent drama projects either.

Both his TV series, My Lovely Girl (2014) and Come Back Alive (2016), fared poorly in Korea’s nationwide viewership ratings.

But he is not done with showbiz.

While he has been outshone by younger and fresher faces in Korea, Rain, who topped Time magazine’s Most Influential People in the World poll in 2006, 2007 and 2011, is still a force to be reckoned with in other parts of Asia, particularly in Hong Kong and China.

We look at how he stays red hot in the international scene.

CONCERTS

In July, at prestigious Chinese music awards ceremony MTV Asia Music Gala 2016, Rain went home as one of the night’s biggest winners with the Best Overseas Artist award.

His current concert tour, The Squall, was sold out in Hong Kong and in Chinese cities including Guangzhou, Shanghai, Wuhan, Shenyang and Changsha.

And good news for Rain’s fans in Singapore: He will be performing at Resorts World Sentosa next month.

Expect a spectacular show complete with dazzling visuals.

In an interview with video platform Tencent, Rain said: “For this concert tour, our team has put in a lot of effort for production and stage design.

“There will be ‘rain’ as well as some laser effects.”

CHINESE TV

Last year, Rain’s first Chinese television drama production, the 68-parter Diamond Lover, reportedly raked in $6 billion won (S$7 million).

Diamond Lover, in which he plays a cold, unfeeling rich businessman, was a huge commercial success in China, topping eight streaming platforms and chocking up more than 7 billion views online.

While Rain was already a household name among Hallyu fanatics, this drama won him China audience.

In an interview with Chinese web portal ent163.com, he said he enjoyed filming Diamond Lover as the pace was comparatively more relaxed than Korea’s.

“I feel I can adapt more to the filming culture in China,” he said.

“In Korea, we usually shoot our dramas as they air, so actors very often have to pull all-nighters.

Rain cited veteran Chinese stars Jackie Chan and Jet Li as his idols and “hopes to work with more Chinese directors in the future”.

He has appeared in high-profile Chinese variety shows such as Happy Camp and Hurry Up, Brother (China’s version of Running Man).

Rain’s second Chinese TV series, Endless August, co-starring Victoria Song from K-pop girl group f(x), will be released next year.

FACE OF TOURISM

At the peak of his popularity between 2006 and 2011, Rain ventured into Hollywood, starring in action flicks such as Speed Racer (2008) and Ninja Assassin (2009).

And despite focusing his sights on China in recent years, he hasn’t entirely given up on the Western entertainment world.

Last December, he was appointed the official tourism ambassador of Queensland and the face of QPop, a new tourism marketing campaign that aims to entice more Korean and other Asian travellers to visit the Great Barrier Reef state.

“It is an honour to come to Queensland for this opportunity,” Rain told content distributor RedRobot.org during his trip to Australia.

“There is a lot of culture in Queensland, it is very pretty with nature. It is the perfect place to enjoy your holiday.

“I tried different food, and I especially enjoyed the Eat Street Markets. I had a really good time there, eating nice food and meeting people.”

Last month, Rain was spotted in Los Angeles at Los Angeles County Museum of Art’s annual Art + Film Gala, attended by a glitzy crowd that included Hollywood A-listers such as Bradley Cooper, Gwyneth Paltrow, Salma Hayek and Brie Larson.

FYI

• WHAT: Rain Tour in Singapore The Squall
• WHERE: Resorts World Ballroom, Resorts World Convention Centre
• WHEN: Dec 30, 7.30pm
• TICKETS: $118 to $338 from Sistic (6348-5555 or www.sistic.com.sg)

This article was first published on November 23, 2016.
Get The New Paper for more stories.

BEIJING – How to deal with the fame of becoming a cyber-celebrity is now a tough question for the 8-year-old ‘mini Jack Ma’.

During this year’s Singles’ Day, also well-known in China as the annual online shopping event on Nov. 11 launched by Alibaba, the boy, Fan Xiaoqin shot to fame soon after photos of him showing a striking resemblance to Jack Ma, circulated online once again.

However, the young boy and his poor family, who live in Yongfeng County in east China’s Jiangxi Province, have to tackle the burdens that come along with such fame.

Local media reports say that people with various goals have swarmed the remote village, with some villagers saying they counted up to 50 visitors to the boy’s house in just one day.

Some people and company representatives came to offer support to Fan Xiaoqin and his family, showing willingness to help to offer financial support to pay for Fan Xiaoqin’s education in the future.

A businessman gave the family 6,000 yuan cash (S$1,300), a LCD television, and some groceries, just to help improve the living conditions of this family in severe poverty.

Even more people are lured to the village with commercial interests in mind.

An online streaming host from Beijing filmed his experience in Fan Xiaoqin’s home, and published video clips on his broadcasting platform, only for the purpose of getting more page hits and followers on the internet.

Some entrepreneurs even forced the boy to take photos with them to promote their brands or products.

Read also: Alibaba founder to fund ‘Mini Jack Ma’ till university education

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2015-03-23 11:01:39

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Customers flock to Toa Payoh foodstall with Jokowi lookalike

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