Linda Chung fuels pregnancy speculations

Hong Kong actress Linda Chung stunned many with her surprise marriage announcement earlier this week. She will wed Jeremy, a chiropractor who is said to be the nephew of former Norman Leung, TVB’s Executive Chariman of the Board of Directors.

Previous speculation was that Linda was five months pregnant – a rumour she neither confirmed nor denied. The suspicion was further strengthened when it was made known that a request has been put in for her to cut down on her schedules with TVB, which she still has a contract under. The request, which included the words “there will be certain things she cannot do”, also asked for the company’s understanding.

Their wedding will not be covered by the media, with the company explaining that Jeremy is not from the entertainment industry and hence is not used to having that many cameras around, especially on his big day.

Good friend Leanne Li was spotted at the airport leaving for the wedding, which is set to take place in Vancouver. The Canadian-born actress shared that she will stay there for two weeks, taking the opportunity to visit her family back home.

When asked about Linda’s pregnancy, she brushed off questions by declaring, “You have to ask her about that!” and shared that she does not know when Linda will return to Hong Kong after the wedding. Explaining that she has never met Jeremy, she stated that she was unsure if the couple would hold a banquet in Hong Kong and that their wedding in Vancouver will be a small and intimate one.

Responding to an interview on her upcoming nuptials, Linda revealed that she got to know her husband-to-be through her sister and had their first date at a coffee shop. She accepted his proposal as he is someone who has a similar mindset and personality as she does.

“We love communicating about everything and we only have discussions and never arguments. He’s someone loyal and I believe that he is someone who will stand by me regardless of whatever happens in the future,” she continued.

She and her fiancé are said to be fans of children and have been open about their desire of expanding their family. She shared that the gender of their future children does not matter as long as they are healthy.

Vivian Hsu alarms fans with 16kg weight loss

Taiwanese singer Vivian Hsu has alarmed fans with her drastic weight loss. She delivered a baby boy via caesarean section on August 13 and has since lost 16kg.

She gained 18kg during her pregnancy and is still 2kg away from her pre-pregnancy body, declaring that she will “only have one bite” for dinner as she is determined to return to her former weight.

A recent post on Facebook read, “Even though I’m losing weight and only eating as much as a bird, did you really have to take it so seriously and only give me one bite? Please at least give me two stalks of vegetables…” amusing netizens greatly.

Her photo, which showed her younger cousin’s plate in the foreground, showed her much smaller plate in the background, which only had a small piece of fish, one stalk of asparagus and a pod of peas on it.

Vivian has been on a strict diet and rigorous exercise regime after her birth. She shared, “After putting on 18kg, I only have 2kg more to go! I run for a minimum of 45 minutes every day but time passes without me realising it as long as I choose a show I enjoy watching (while I run).”

After running, she also does 30 minutes of stretching and goes for strength training thrice a week. “I must have more muscles than fat for my skin not to get loose! Your diet definitely helps you to lose weight but I can lose 1kg a week even without starving. Let’s work together to become both slim and fit,” she declared. 

TV host Charlyn Lin welcomes second child

Gutsy mum Charlyn Lin, who had trekked through several countries Asia for TV programme, Rites of Motherhood, while carrying her second child, welcomed a baby boy together with her husband Alfred Tang at close to midnight today.

She gave birth to a 3.3 kg baby at Thomson Medical Centre via caesarean section after eight hours of contractions last night. The 37-year-old mum shared that she wanted to opt for a natural birth but was unable to go with it as she has a small pelvis and was told that it cannot expand further for childbirth.

In a phone interview with Toggle, the mother-of-two shared that her water bag broke when she was at her sister’s place yesterday, after she felt a round of intense kicks from the baby.

“Everyone started panicking and we hurriedly made our way to the hospital,” she chuckled.

Charlyn’s husband stayed by her side throughout the operation but her eldest child, Caleb, 4, who wanted to be at the hospital too, was not allowed in the operating theatre and had to spend the night at his grandmother’s place instead.

Big brother was not left out on his baby brother’s arrival – he only went to bed after his mummy gave birth and had a part in naming his little brother too, said Charlyn.

“He randomly thought of the name ‘Cayvus’ one day when they were riding the escalator. I tried to search online to see if the name has a meaning, but there is no meaning behind it,” she said.

The baby was originally due to arrive on March 1, but came into this world slightly earlier than expected, thwarting his mum’s plans of attending Madonna’s concert this Sunday.

Charlyn will remain under observation for the next four days before she returns home to do her confinement with the help of a confinement lady.

Charlyn and Alfred tied the knot in 2009 and welcomed their first child, Caleb, two years later. The couple decided to try for a second child when Caleb turned four last year.

Ah Jie Zoe Tay had a part to play in Charlyn’s pregnancy, the host revealed, during a previous interview with Toggle. “Filming for Rites of Motherhood began in July after I accepted the offer to host the programme, and I told my husband we should put our baby plans on hold,” she said.

“But I met Zoe in a dressing room one day, and she said, ‘You think it’s so easy to get pregnant?’ She talked about a string of cases [of infertility] and I freaked out. That night when I got home I said to my husband, ‘No, we have to keep going!’”

Eddie Redmayne's Oscar thrill

Eddie Redmayne is "thrilled" to be nominated for a Best Actor Oscar.

The 34-year-old actor - who scooped the prize last year for his role in 'The Theory of Everything' - is delighted to be recognised for his role in 'The Danish Girl' because the movie took so long to be made.

He said: "It's amazing to be here.

"The director, Tom [Hooper], gave it to me on a lunch break [on 'Les Miserables' and said nothing about it.

"I read it in one sitting and I just remember being profoundly moved by it, like nothing I'd ever read before.

"I jumped at it, 'Can I be involved' and he said, 'Woah calm down, it's taken 12 years to get it made already' and it took another four to get it made so it's thrilling to be here."

Eddie is grateful for the "sensationally generous" members of the trans community who helped him with his research for the role.

Speaking to E! News presenter Ryan Seacrest on the red carpet at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles tonight (28.02.16), he said: "For me it was about meeting men and women from the trans community and hearing their stories, across the board everyone was sensationally generous and educated me, and it was also meeting women of different generations and getting their experiences, maybe a few years ago because our story is set nearly 100 years ago."

The British star required two viewings of the movie to "take it all in" and his outstanding impression of the finished film was how "formidable" his co-star - and Best Supporting Actress nominee - Alicia Vikander was.

He said: "Whenever you see anything you do for the first time, all you look at is what you've done wrong so I go and watch it once, have a coffee break and then watch it again to take it all in.

"I just thought Alicia was formidable, that's what I took from it."

Eddie is renowned for his sense of style but was suffering for his appearance on the red carpet.

He laughed: "My tux was made by Alexander McQueen and it's very hot."

BTS Plays Up Pure Charms for ′CeCi′

BTS′ smooth charms are captured in the March issue of CeCi magazine.

The members are styled in all-white looks for the spread with CLEAN perfume, capturing their innocent and clean charms.From V, looking on naturally with his charming eyes, to Jung Kook′s relaxed pose and Rap Monster leaning comfortably against Suga, the photos show the members enjoying a lazy afternoon.

In the accompanying interview, the members revealed their favorite scents and their first impressions of the CLEAN perfume.

The spread capturing BTS′ natural side can be found in CeCi′s March issue.

Julie Tan: I’ve touched everyone’s bosom

What’s the fastest way to get to know your co-stars … intimately? Rather than spend time reading lines or chatting over coffee, Julie Tan took a more direct approach.

“We compare the size of our assets — mine are the smallest — we have a ranking too,” said the actress, who plays one of six sisters in the upcoming longform drama Peace and Prosperity.

“And I’ll tell you, I’ve touched everyone’s bosom.”

Being part of an all-female group on set has offered the actresses — Belinda Lee, Tong Bingyu, Dawn Yeoh, Tracy Lee, Julie and relative newcomer Michelle Wong — an unusual means of bonding and developing their chemistry as onscreen sisters.

“One time during filming, I suddenly noticed my clothes didn’t fit right, and I realised Belinda had unclasped my undergarment,” Julie said. “That started a trend among the six of us: We went around unhooking one another’s bras.”

Who’s who

The cast of Peace and Prosperity held the soft launch for the show on the set of the longform drama yesterday. The series will replace Life — Fear Not, currently airing on Channel 8, on April 4.

At the heart of the series is the Huang family, whose patriarch (played by Zhang Wei) runs a traditional Chinese medicine practice with his daughter-in-law (played by Xiang Yun) aided by a couple of her six daughters.

The actors themselves aren’t spared from the confusion that comes with being part of a 22-member cast. This is the first time Xiang Yun plays a mother with so many children, she said. “I’m the worst with names so I mix up the characters — I’ll look at one daughter and call her by the name of another,” the actress said.

Dawn said she too had the toughest time with the six Mandarin names, which all start with the same Chinese character, Zi. And Belinda even came up with a new name for Julie’s character once, calling her Zi Xiong instead of Zi Hong, Julie said.

“I told her there’s no one in our family called that — she had gotten it mixed up with Ying Xiong (played by Desmond Tan),” she said. “So I told her, ‘Sis, I’m Zi Hao!’”

At this Julie and Tracy burst out laughing, because Zi Hao is their cousin in the drama, played by Shane Pow.

Bloopers

The merriment doesn’t stop there for this riotous onscreen family. Bingyu, who plays the bitter, aloof second sister, had to maintain her composure no matter what jokes came up on set. Holding in her laughter made her face twitch, which caused everyone else to fall about, leading to numerous bloopers, Michelle said.

“I’m not cool at all,” Bingyu said. “I just got here from my role in House of Fortune (as a woman with a mean tongue) so I keep wanting to add in snarky dialogue, but I can’t. I have to stay serious — it’s a pain.”

The actresses also gang up on their onscreen grandfather, though they mean it respectfully, Bingyu said. “We bully Grandpa and say to him, ‘Ah gong, tiam la! (Grandpa, be quiet!)’” she said.

Xiang Yun, though, stays a true parent on set, maintaining a grave mien in front of her rambunctious brood. “They don’t dare to make mischief around me,” she said. “Even at home, Edmund (Chen, her husband) will run riot with our children but stop when he sees me, so these kids know their mother is serious.”

To Michelle, currently seen in Project W on Channel U, Zhang Wei and Xiang Yun are the loving elders on set. “They really treat me as the youngest in the family,” she said.

Bingyu replied, “So in future you try saying, ‘Ah gong, tiam la!’”

Peace and Prosperity debuts April 4, 7.30 pm on Channel 8.

Catch up on episodes of Life — Fear Not, House of Fortune and Project W 

Stefanie Sun trims son’s hair herself

Singaporean singer Stefanie Sun, 37, shared a tweet on Wednesday, a photo of her son, and related that she had trimmed his hair herself.

She added that she no longer considered herself an idol, so she was focusing on releasing a quality record instead of rushing it out.

On Twitter, Stefanie wrote that she has been preparing her next album, choosing songs and doing recording, and she asked her fans for patience.

She said she has started conceptualising her next concert tour, after her Kepler tour ended last year.

The singer’s manager said she's in talks with other artistes on collaborating on her next album, which will be released after April.

Stefanie married Nadim Van Der Ros in 2011 and gave birth to their son the following year.

SHINee′s Taemin to Make Comeback on ′M COUNTDOWN′ Today (2/25)

SHINee′s Taemin, who made a comeback with his first studio album Press It, will be returning to the stage this week.

Taemin will make his comeback on Mnet′s M COUNTDOWN on February 25 before taking the stage on KBS′ Music Bank on February 26, MBC′s Music Core on February 27 and SBS′ Inkigayo on February 28, where he will perform his new songs for the first time for global fans.Taemin will perform title track Press Your Number, Drip Drop and Soldier, which Taemin choreographed and wrote the lyrics to himself, for a total of three songs on M COUNTDOWN. He will perform Press Your Number and Drip Drop on Music Bank, Music Core and Inkigayo.

A second version of Taemin′s Press Your Number performance video was released on February 25 on Taemin′s official website, Vyrl and Naver TVCast, capturing viewers′ attention with another brilliant performance and heightening anticipation for his performances onstage.

Taemin′s first studio album Press It topped the iTunes album chart in seven countries in Asia and Europe, including Japan, Vietnam, Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Thailand and Finland, as soon as it dropped on February 23, as well as the daily charts on album sales sites Hanteo Chart and Synnara Records.

Meanwhile, Taemin is currently promoting his new song Press Your Number.

Jack Black hosted Kung Fu Panda 3 party for sons

Jack Black treated 20 children to a preview of 'Kung Fu Panda 3' at his house.

The father-of-two stars as panda bear Po in the animated franchise and hosted a movie screening for the kids because his sons, nine-year-old Sammy - who voiced a part of a bunny rabbit - and Thomas, seven, wanted to see it with their friends before it came out in the US.

Asked whether Sammy and Thomas are thrilled their dad plays the lovable martial arts master, the Hollywood star said: "Yes! We had a little preview just for the boys and they got to invite about 20 kids from their school. It's a fun thing to share with them.

"My eldest boy got to play one of the bunny rabbits. He's really stoked about it."

The 46-year-old comedic actor - who is married to musician Tanya Haden - also admitted he is inspired by Po to stay young at heart and says the bear even reminds him of himself at times.

He told Britain's OK! magazine: "Po's like a younger version of me - naive in a way. Children have this love and passion for whatever they're interested in, and in Po's case it's Kung Fu. You don't want to lose that part of yourself, the kid that just wants to do things because they are fun."

In 'Kung Fu Panda 3' - which is released across the rest of the world in March - Dustin Hoffman reprises his role as Master Shifu, Angelina Jolie is back again as Master Tigress and Jackie Chan is back as Master Monkey among other returning cast members.

Hannah Quinlivan snags 6 brand endorsement deals

Taiwanese actress and model Hannah Quinlivan, 22, has snagged six new brand endorsement deals and is in talks to take on several more.

Her latest engagements have earned her NT$30 million (approximately S$1.26 million).

While most actresses see their popularity take a dip after they have children, Hannah has become valuable after she and Taiwanese pop singer Jay Chou welcomed their daughter, Hathaway, last July.

Advertisers are drawn to Hannah’s wholesome image as a first-time mother, and brands representing diapers, formula, baby apparel, chicken essence and teas have sent her a slew of invitations.

Even a brand of microwaves has come calling.

Hannah’s management agency has worked to accept engagements on her behalf, and she'll be making an appearance at Paris Fashion Week in March. But because she's busy taking care of Hathaway, she won't be returning to acting anytime soon.

Hannah married Jay early last year.

Nicky Wu to wed on March 20 in Bali instead?

Taiwanese actor and singer Nicky Wu, 45, may be holding his wedding in Bali on March 20 instead of March 12.

According to Taiwanese media, actress and television host Chang Hsiao-yen, one of the reported wedding guests, is heading to Bali on March 19, giving a March 20 wedding date some credibility.

Details of Nicky’s wedding with Chinese actress Cecilia Liu, 28, have been hard to come by. Hong Kong’s Nicholas Tse recently said he had received his invitation and revealed the date to be March 12. But the location has not been confirmed, though it’s widely speculated to be Bali.

Other guests at the wedding reportedly include actors and singers Alec Su and Julian Chen, both former members of 80s boyband Little Tigers, together with Nicky.

When asked for confirmation of the wedding date, Nicky’s manager declined to give an answer.

According to the production team of Mission of the Queen 3, a variety programme Hsiao-yen hosts, she has taken leave from the programme on March 19 and postponed filming from March 22 to 23.

Stephen Chow: I’ve never stopped wanting to act

Hong Kong director Stephen Chow may be dominating box offices in Asia with his fantasy flick The Mermaid, but the 53-year-old hasn’t given up his wish to keep acting.

When asked recently when he might make his acting comeback, he said, “Forget it! I’m so old now!”

But he changed his mind: “For now I want to focus on my work as a director — I’m actually acting more when I’m a director, because I demonstrate every role to my actors. But the desire to be an actor has never left me.”

Stephen’s The Mermaid, released over the Chinese New Year period, has grossed more than NT$13.5 billion (approximately S$560 million) in mainland China.

T-ara′s Hyo Min Releases Racy Comeback Image Teasers

T-ara′s Hyo Min′s comeback teaser has been released.

Hyo Min, who announced the release of her second solo album after a year and eight months, launched the countdown to her comeback with an image teaser.Hyo Min made her solo debut in June 2014 with Nice Body, showing off her personal style through the song, choreography and wardrobe, and she plans to display her growth through the new album.

Photographer Jang Duk Hwa shot Hyo Min′s bold solo album teaser photos, capturing the T-ara member′s alluring eyes and sex appeal.

A team of world-renowned composers have been enlisted for Hyo Min′s upcoming album, including Ryan Jhun, who has produced songs for EXO, Red Velvet and SHINee, DQ, who has written songs for Justin Bieber and Beyonce, and August Rigo.

The album also contains two songs Hyo Min composed herself with lyrics written by BEAST′s Yong Jun Hyung.

Khloe Kardashian banned from speaking at Kim and Kanye's wedding

Khloe Kardashian was banned from speaking at her sister Kim Kardashian West's wedding.

The 31-year-old reality star wasn't allowed to give a speech at Kim's 2014 wedding to Kanye West because she tends "to just ramble on".

Speaking on 'The Late Late Show with James Corden', she said the groom taunted her with the microphone after giving his own "epic" 45 minute speech, but Khloe was under strict instructions from Kim not to speak.

She said: "I'm such a talker and I feel like I'm such an open book, but I did get banned from speaking at Kim and Kanye's wedding . I wasn't allowed to give a speech because I tend to just ramble and I think I'm giving a compliments but maybe I'm not saying the right thing. So at the wedding Kim was like 'You can't give a speech at the wedding'. I was like 'OK', and then Kanye was giving his speech and was like 'Khlo I know you want the mic' and was like taunting me , and like one ranter to another ranter, I wanted that mic".

Meanwhile, the 'Keeping Up With The Kardashians' star recently admitted that remarrying her estranged husband Lamar Odom would be "the best dream".

She said: "I mean, that would be like the best dream ... like, okay, I hope that first marriage could happen again but it's really hard to erase everything that happened. Just building a friendship back is what I'm doing now, it has nothing intimately, nothing at all, just pure love and I want someone to learn how to love themselves again."

Angelica Lee practises cooking

Malaysian actress Angelica Lee posted photos on Weibo and Facebook on Monday showing her practising her cooking.

She’s expecting twins with her husband, Hong Kong director Oxide Pang, due this May.

“The doctor reminded me that carrying two babies isn’t easy, and I should stay at home and not run around,” she wrote. “So I can only wait for friends to visit me.”

The actress added she recently had friends from Beijing drop in, who taught her how to cook her favourite northern Chinese dishes such as shredded potatoes, dumplings and dumpling knots.

“In a short while my cooking improved by leaps and bounds, I’m thrilled!” she wrote.

Angelica appeared in a long, loose-fitting outfit, and it was the first time she didn’t try to hide her pregnant belly in a social media photo since she announced in January she was expecting.

Sulli′s Lovable White Day Spread Revealed

Sulli′s White Day spread is attracting attention.

Sulli is shown smiling brightly in a White Day jewelry spread for Elle′s March issue.With her doe eyes and clear skin, Sulli has transformed into a spring cupid for the spread. Her bright personality is accentuated by the crystal pieces, resulting in a dazzling spring spread.

Keeping with the White Day theme, Sulli matches pastel-toned pieces with various heart-shaped necklaces for a variety of lovely looks.

Despite shooting into the morning, Sulli remained bright and bubbly throughout the photo shoot, adding life to the clothing and jewelry pieces with her flawless facial expressions and poses.

Sulli′s White Day ′cupid′ spread can be found in the March issue of Elle and Swarovski′s Facebook page.

Khloe Kardashian: 'I still love Lamar'

Khloe Kardashian says she loves Lamar Odom "with every fiber of my being".

The former couple have put their divorce on hold while Lamar recovers from his collapse last year and although Khloe still loves the basketball star, she insists it is not romantic.

Speaking on 'The Talk', she said: "We're not back together. We're not at all. I love him with every fiber of my being...but we were married and I shared that union with him. I didn't want for our divorce to happen, but it happened for many reasons and that doesn't mean I just forget about this person."

"I still believe in my vows of being there for him. I know it's confusing. it's very confusing. It's not a romantic place. It's coming from a place of real care and concern and love.

"I don't think love just because we're not romantically involved means I can't care about someone. I find that so simple-minded."

Khloe has been caring for Lamar ever since he collapsed at a brothel in Nevada following a drugs and alcohol binge and while he is making good progress, she admitted she was nervous about him attending her brother-in-law Kanye West's recent fashion launch in New York.

She explained: "He wanted to go to Kanye's show so badly. I had so many reservations. I was so nervous. I was just so protective. I'm still so protective.

"But the fact that he did that and he walked in on his own, with Kanye, and he went to Madison Square Garden where he used to play basketball, it was so just impactful. It was beautiful."

Charlie Sheen pays exes 55k a month each

Charlie Sheen claims he pays his ex-wives $55,000 each per month.

The 50-year-old actor has six-year-old twins Bob and Max with Brooke Mueller and daughters Sam, 11 and Lola, 10 with Denise Richards and revealed he pays both women the astronomical sum.

Speaking on 'The Dr Oz Show', Charlie said he paid them "$55,000 each a month, tax free," before quipping to the audience "You could all live on that right?"

It was revealed on the show that Charlie's payments to his exes were part of what he dubbed 'Operation Harmony', a plan to have his children and ex-wives live nearby.

He said: "I bought houses in my neighborhood for Brooke and the boys, and then for Denise and the girls. I wanted everybody to be in the same neighborhood. And that all went bad."

Charlie is currently being sued by Denise, who claims he evicted her and their daughters, from their home and also sent aggressive text messages to their younger daughter.

However, one of Charlie's lawyers, Martin Singer, slammed Denise for being "greedy".

Mr. Singer said: "I've been representing Charlie for more than 20 years.

"Patty [Glaser, Denise's lawyer] is just the latest in a long string of lawyers who Denise has hired to squeeze as much money as she can out of Charlie. This motion has nothing do with their children. Denise is simply being greedy.

"She isn't satisfied receiving $55,000 per month tax free - more than what 99 per cent of the people in the world make. Now, she's asking Charlie to pay her more money so she can buy a second home because one $7 million home isn't enough for her."

Barbie Hsu feels stressed about second pregnancy

Taiwanese actress and singer Barbie Hsu, 39, revealed during a recent interview that she’s feeling stressed about her second pregnancy, worrying daily whether the baby is healthy, and the pressure is so intense she feels as if she’s possessed.

Barbie appeared on television host Makiyo’s talk show while 5 months pregnant, and said she hadn’t expected to conceive a second time. “This baby was completely unexpected, so it’s a total surprise,” she said.

The actress added that her husband, Chinese entrepreneur Wang Xiaofei, is looking forward to the birth of their second child, but she is imagining the worst.

Barbie added she had intended to have only one child because she wasn’t confident of being a good mother to two. She even accepted an acting role in January, which she has had to turn down due to her unplanned pregnancy.

Barbie and Xiaofei married in 2010 and have one daughter, Hsi-yueh, nearly 2.

Bride-to-be Hwang Jung Eum Says She Wants to Continue Acting After Marriage

Hwang Jung Eum′s wedding spread with Elle has been released.

Hwang Jung Eum will be marrying Lee Young Don on February 26. The actress, who is currently at the height of her career and on cloud nine in her love life, was a glowing bride.

Despite shooting for long hours and numerous outfit changes, Hwang Jung Eum was all smiles throughout the photo shoot. From a graceful gown to a chic suit, Hwang Jung Eum showed off a range of charming looks.During the interview, Hwang Jung Eum said she wanted to keep the couple′s love story between them; however, she spilled on how deep and special their love is as well as whether she believes in destiny.

Hwang Jung Eum said that rather than dwell on a fairytale wedding, she finds herself thinking about the meaning of marriage, saying "Although we haven′t had any conflicts or issues before the wedding, I have a lot on my mind. And I find myself acting more carefully than I did when I was by myself. Everyone who decided to take the plunge seem incredible to me."

She also revealed that she plans to continue acting even after she gets married, saying "Even now, my body is itching (to act). If a good project comes along, I′m ready to jump right in."

February bride Hwang Jung Eum′s spread and interview can be found in the March issue of Elle Bride and Elle′s website.

Photo credit: Elle

Joe Augustin leaves Mediacorp amid GOLD 905 shake-up

From next Monday (February 22), Mediacorp’s GOLD 905 listeners will be treated to a refreshed line-up consisting of new DJ pairings and programmes.

One of the biggest changes to the station is the departure of Joe Augustin, who had his last The Mike & Joe Xperiment show today (February 19). The reason for his decision to leave the station and his future plans were not disclosed, and he could not be reached for comment.

“I love radio and this past year I have loved the GOLD 905 audience. I will miss them both,” he shared in a press release. Erina Cook, Assistant Vice President of Class 95FM, Gold 905 and XFM96.3, added, “It has been a fulfilling year with Joe on GOLD 905’s morning show and we wish him the very best for the future.”

Joe, who also provides emcee services for events, was previously at Lush 99.5FM in 2011, followed by Class 95FM in 2013. He joined GOLD 905 in March last year.

Due to the shake-up, Mike Kasem, Joe’s former on-air partner, will now team up with Vernetta Lopez for morning show LIVE! with Mike Kasem & Vernetta Lopez from 6am to 10am on weekdays. Vernetta, who until then helms the 5pm to 8pm slot, said in a statement, “I'm happy to be back on the mornings. Mike and I go back a long way and we’re great friends.”

One addition to the GOLD 905 family is former 938LIVE presenter William Xavier (Mr X), who will take over the evening airwaves with Nite Flite with Mr X from 8pm to 12 midnight. “It’s a homecoming of sorts... re-connecting with GOLD 905 listeners. Music has always been my first love, but I’m still a news junkie and am happy to bring a topical sensibility to my show,” he said.

Other changes include Jamie Yeo’s afternoon slot, which will be moved to the drive time belt at 5pm on weekdays. In March, viewers can also tune into Channel 5 for GOLD 905’s weekly snippets on popular places to go and things to do.

Explaining the changes, Erina said, “We are continuously shaping GOLD 905’s programmes to stay engaged with our audience. I’m confident that our discerning listeners from their 40s will welcome the refreshing “feel-good” experience these new plans offer.”

GOLD 905’s new weekday line-up:

6am - 10am: LIVE! with Mike Kasem & Vernetta Lopez

10am - 2pm: Lunchtime Jukebox with Denise Tan

5pm - 8pm: Homestretch with Jamie Yeo

8pm - 12mn: Nite Flite with Mr X

GOLD 905’s new Saturday programmes:

6pm - 10pm: Rock of Ages: A repertoire of favourite rock music

10pm - 2am: Solid Gold: Non-stop disco hits from the 80s

GOLD 905 Feel Good Minute debuts March 17 (Thursday) at 7.29pm on Channel 5.

Celine Dion to make Vegas return

Celine Dion will return to her Las Vegas show on Tuesday (23.02.16).

The 'My Heart Will Go On' singer is set to perform on stage for the first time since her husband René Angélil died last month following a battle with throat cancer and she is planning to begin her show with a 10-minute tribute to him, according to TMZ.

René, 73, who was Celine's manager, had been battling throat cancer since 2013 but lost the fight last month.

The couple have three children - 14-year-old son, Rene, and five-year-old fraternal twins Eddy and Nelson - together while René also has three grown up children from a previous relationship - Anne-Marie, Patrick and Jean-Pierre.

Celine, 47, took a break from her residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace Las Vegas Hotel and Casino last year when René's illness worsened, but returned to the stage in August.

She previously revealed it was her spirituality that has helped her to cope during her spouse's health struggles.

Celine - who was raised a Roman Catholic - revealed: "Life is not always perfect. You have to deal with it. Whatever life imposes - sickness, or whatever, you don't have a choice. This is life, this is nature. But you do have the choice on how you're going to go through this. And if you don't have spirituality you're going to fall apart before things happen. I am very spiritual. I believe in myself, I believe in my family, and I'm positive. Through this, you show your children how to deal with things, and how to be strong."

René was first diagnosed with throat cancer in April 1998 but made a full recovery from the illness before contracting it again in December 2013.

Carrie Wong: I feel like a pretty boy now

When she was told two months ago she would have to have her long locks shorn for her role in the new drama series Mercurial Men, Carrie Wong was at a loss.

“I’d not worn my hair short for two decades,” the 22-year-old said. “I felt insecure and I didn’t know whether a short hairstyle would suit me. I heard that tall girls don’t look good with short hair, so I was afraid.”

The actress even asked the Mercurial Men’s executive producer if she could don a wig instead of going for a haircut, but she was turned down — Soh Bee Lian said the character wouldn’t be convincing otherwise.

So Carrie took the plunge. After her hairstylist assured her her small face suited a bob cut, she had her hair — which reached halfway down her back — trimmed to skim her shoulders two weeks ago. And on Valentine’s Day, she went for it: a graduated, slightly asymmetrical bob.

Explaining her two-step haircut, Carrie said, “I couldn’t bear (to cut it all at once) — how would my fragile soul be able to handle it!”

Pretty boy

Since then, the actress said she’s received plenty of compliments on her new look. “Everyone says it looks good, and I think I look quite dashing now!” she said. “Like those kkotminam (pretty boys) in idol dramas!”

But Carrie doesn’t agree she’ll start attracting amorous attention from other girls, saying she’ll be sure to put on bright lipstick or wear skirts when she goes out.

And with her neck area now exposed, she said she’ll have to watch what she eats from now on, though her four-day trip to Hong Kong last week did her no favours.

So just how far would Carrie go for a role? “If it’s an outstanding character, I wouldn’t mind shaving my head” she said.

Chemistry

Carrie has a supporting role in Mercurial Men, about three ambitious brothers who find themselves in jobs typically associated with women.

The youngest brother, Nai Yi, played by Aloysius Pang, graduates with a fashion design qualification but winds up at an office that designs women’s undergarments. Carrie plays a shopgirl at an undergarment store who develops feelings for Nai Yi.

In her second collaboration with Aloysius (after Life — Fear Not, now airing on Channel 8), Carrie said the two are now good friends and have strong chemistry onscreen, and even a one-night stand scene in the script won’t make it awkward between them.

But the actress said she’s only friends with Aloysius and still very single, though if she does enter into a relationship she would inform the media. “Hiding and dodging is exhausting,” she said.

“And even though this short hairstyle looks good, boys all prefer girls with long hair, so I’ll have to grow mine out before anything happens!”

Mercurial Men debuts August 9, 9 pm on Channel 8.

Life — Fear Not airs weeknights, 7.30 pm on Channel 8; watch it on Toggle-It-First 

Thai woman claims affair with Vic Chou

A Thai woman known by the nickname Pear claimed at a press conference yesterday that she had had a one-night stand with Taiwanese actor and singer Vic Chou, 34, one-fourth of the boyband F4.

Pear said the tryst took place when Vic was filming Go Lala Go in Koh Samui last year, and she made public purported text messages between them to prove her point.

In January the woman came out to say she had had intimate relations with Vic, who she said did not tell her he had a girlfriend then.

Pear gave varying accounts of her relationship with Vic, once saying she got to know the actor in 2009 through a mutual friend and started dating a year later, but they couldn't make it official because he's a public figure. In another account, she said Vic had raped her. 

Pear said she was shocked when she found out Vic had married Taiwanese actress Reen Yu last November. According to the text messages Pear had, she confronted Vic about his sudden marriage and his concealing his girlfriend from her, but he could only apologise.

“From now on I want to start over and be a better person, and about what happened previously I’m very sorry,” one of the text replies read. “I can’t put aside my work to focus on giving you an answer, but you’re still angry, so all I can do is apologise.”

Vic’s manager gave a short response to the latest rumours: “We won’t comment on untruthful news.”

Lady Gaga: My whole career is a tribute to David Bowie

Lady Gaga feels like her "whole career is a tribute to David Bowie".

The 'Born This Way' hitmaker, 29, intends to continue to showcase the late music legend's influence he had on her with his music and fashion through her own art forms.

She said: How do I feel now that it's over? I mean, I feel like my whole career is a tribute to David Bowie."

The pop superstar has already had a tattoo of the 'Space Oddity' hitmaker - who died at the age of 69 following a secret battle with cancer last month - inked on her skin and recently performed a showstopping nine-track medley of his greatest hits at the Grammys last week.

And even in her spare time, she's been delving into the late star's back catalogue by watching his music videos and listening to his last album 'Blackstar', which she says was his "masterpiece eulogy".

She told website www.npr.org: "It's still going. I've been watching his videos all day long, and also listening to Blackstar, his last album, which is a truly incredible piece of music. It's one of the single greatest things an artist has ever done: making a masterpiece album that is their own eulogy. Can you imagine? To go into the studio every day and put your heart in that place, where you are saying goodbye to life? I mean, his art made him strong."

Apink′s Son Na Eun and Park Cho Rong Sizzle in Denim Styles

Apink′s Son Na Eun and Park Cho Rong are featured in a spread for Tommy Hilfiger Denim and CeCi.Son Na Eun and Park Cho Rong are featured on the cover of CeCi′s March issue, showing off their curves in denim styles.

The girls are styled in pieces from Tommy Hilfiger Denim′s 2016 S/S collection that accentuate their sexy charms.

The Apink members match cropped tees with jeans, giving off a sexy yet casual feel in the vintage ′twin′ looks. Son Na Eun and Park Cho Rong look like sisters, bringing their own feel to the matching pieces.

Meanwhile, Son Na Eun and Park Cho Rong′s spread for Tommy Hilfiger can be found in the March issue of CeCi.

Faye Wong’s daughter to sing at Taipei music festival

Chinese singer Leah Dou, 19, the elder daughter of singer Faye Wong, will be staging her first performance in Taiwan at Taipei’s Spring Wave Music and Art Festival this April.

The teen’s appearance cost event organisers NT$2 million (approximately S$84,000), which is on par with fees that A-list singers charge.

Festival organisers expressed interest in inviting Leah to sing at Spring Wave because they saw singing and songwriting talent in her. The theme of this year’s festival is ‘Rock through the ages across the Strait,” and Leah has a massive following on social media in mainland China.

The singer signed to her mother’s manager last August and made her debut in Japan, going on to perform in Shanghai and Beijing.

Huat’s on my plate: Cooking up good vibes with Rozz

#rozzeats, #rozzcooks and #rozzrecipes are delightfully easy for anyone looking to whip up a home-cooked meal.

If her short 15-second cooking videos on Instagram (@heyrozz) are anything to go by, it is that you don’t need to be a cooking whiz to be able to cook a good and hearty meal for yourself. For food inspiration, take a quick scroll through the Lush 99.5FM deejay’s Instagram feed which is a glorious visual feast for the eyes, by that we mean the smorgasbord of food pictures, chopping board flat lays and cooking videos – not selfies or #OOTD shots. There’s something for everyone -- whether you like cooking or not.

A friendly word of advice though, don’t check it out at 12 midnight like we did, on an empty stomach, because god knows the next thing you’ll be looking for is the frying pan.

Like any regular person who can make a soup and do a fry-up, these posts are not intended to show off her cooking abilities and are instead her means of spreading “good vibes” to the people around her, said Rozz (Rosalyn Lee), whose healing journey through cooking began after her breakup with ex-boyfriend Justin Vanderstraaten last year.

“The one thing that centered me [during the breakup] was when I told myself: ‘I’m going to cook something for myself today. I know something good’s gonna come into my body’. And when I edit it and put it on Instagram and I get a response – it makes me feel good too”, she quipped, “The whole process makes me feel good and I just want to share it.”

Food, cooking and the kitchen plays an integral part of Rozz’s life, and funnily enough, she got into cooking because of the guys she met too.

“They’d whip up a dish by mixing sauces together, I tried to experiment at home, my mum liked it and I was very encouraged by it and started cooking and experimenting at home,” she chuckled.

The 36-year-old began cooking more independently for the family after she turned 18 or 19 years old, when her mother fell sick (Rozz’s mum passed away in 2004 after her battle with breast cancer) “because we needed to take care of ourselves”. Before that, she was assigned kitchen duties like peeling gingko nuts as a form of punishment whenever she misbehaved which, according to Rozz, meant “talking too loudly or being too opinionated.”

While she’d never attempt to peel another gingko nut now, the food experiments continue and the most complicated fusion recipe recently attempted by Rozz was baking ondeh ondeh cupcakes for a series of local food recipe videos for Lush 99.5FM. To top it off, she even made her own condiments, such as pandan essence and gula melaka, from scratch with the use of pandan leaves and freshly grated coconut.

Rozz may come across as a person who spares no expense – or effort – when it comes to food and satiating her cravings (just like that one time she and her younger brother flew to Japan for sushi at Sukiyabashi Jiro, weeks after watching the documentary, Jiro Dreams of Sushi) but you’d be surprised to learn about her economical ways in the kitchen.

She once brought home a chicken carcass (leftovers from a beer can chicken meal with friends) thinking she can make soup with it -- which she did. Sharing about her attempts to repurpose ‘leftovers’, Rozz said, “It’s a known thing that chicken rice stall owners usually keep the bones to make soup so I thought I’d just do that to make soup too.

“I don’t usually do it unless it’s substantial – if we’re eating chicken wings I’m not gonna collect everyone’s bones,” she laughed, “But if it’s a whole chicken, I would.”

Toggle: Have you ever tried cooking your own Chinese New Year dish?

Rozz: My brother and I lived together (he moved into his own place last year after getting married) and I try to keep the CNY thing alive because we finally have our own home. So I made this peppery soup – it’s a Hokkien thing with pig intestines but I don’t like intestines so I substituted it with a lot of shell fish, sea asparagus and all kinds of mushrooms and I’d put abalone in it with pork and lots and lots of pepper. I’d also make chap chye (mixed vegetable stew) and steamed prawns.

How often do you cook now and what type of meals do you usually cook for yourself?

Hardly, actually. I’d look at my schedule and if I have lunch and dinner free or if I don’t have to work – I’d buy food for the entire week. It’s very expensive to cook for yourself and they don’t sell food in single portions. So if I buy a packet of prawns, I’d need to think of ways to cook it for several days, so it depends on my schedule. Otherwise, I’d have regular items like eggs, rice, dried prawns, dried mushrooms and onions. With these things, I can whip up a simple pasta dish anytime – like with canned tuna too (not the lousy Ayam brand tuna but the good ones in olive oil). If I have those around, I can easily make up a spaghetti dish with garlic, onions and cilantro too. 

What’s the most complicated food recipe you’ve attempted so far?

I got given a box of ondeh ondeh cupcakes and I’m like ‘I gotta learn how to make this!’ so I went on the internet and tried to find a few recipes on my own. It’s really tough because there are so many parts to it. I don’t believe in using pre-made pandan essence so I bought my own pandan leaves from some heartland supermarket, chopped it up, blended it and squeezed the juice. I had to make the gula melaka as well and so I bought freshly grated coconut that was hard to find, mix that together, set aside then make the batter and the cupcakes. The cupcakes didn’t look green until I baked them which is so strange! It looked cream in colour but once it came out from the oven it was green. So magical.

You are obsessed with cooking. So what kind of a cook are you? Someone who goes by the book or someone who’s more experimental?

I’ve gotten to a point where I read a recipe and I understand how it tastes like just by reading it. So I can take out something and substitute it with something. Sometimes, for example, when making chicken in Shaoxing wine but I don’t have Shaoxing wine at home, you can actually use beer – like any beer. If you want a sweeter taste you can use Japanese sake as well. I’ve used all these substitutes for Shaoxing chicken and it all tasted fine.

Ed’s note: Learn more about Rozz on the food personality quiz on the next page!

There are days where you’d whip up a ‘whatever’s in my fridge’ meal too, what is your favourite way of cooking with soon-to-expire ingredients?

It’d usually go into an omelette. Chop it all up and put it into eggs – especially chives. You can make that into an onion-style omelette too. If not, you can put lots of ground chili powder, cumin and it’d be transformed into a fresh new dish. (Check out her simple recipe for Spanish eggs on the next page)

As someone living by herself, how do you keep track of the food you have in the kitchen and in the fridge to prevent wastage of food?

I don’t buy a lot and if I buy something I know it’s there. I have cancelled meals or postponed appointments with people just so I can finish eating the food. If I’ve got one more portion left and someone wants to meet me for dinner I’d be like: ‘How about I meet you for drinks after? Let me just cook dinner at home, or I can meet you for lunch tomorrow.’

Don’t be afraid to make use of the freezer too. Like leftover prawn heads or shells – oh my god, I’ve been collecting these for a month long now. The meat that I put on standby are usually minced pork and prawns and for the prawns after I deshell and remove the head I don’t throw them away. I just keep, keep, keep and one day I’d fry it up and make prawn noodle soup because it can last in the freezer for 3 to 4 months.  

Only 13% of Singapore’s food waste is recycled on a yearly basis, the remaining amount is incinerated and sent to our one and only landfill, which is expected to run out of space if habits don’t change. What do you think are some simple habits people can adopt to cut back on food wastage?

I think when people shop for food, something they can take note of is there’s a best before date and a sell by date. I’m not really concerned by sell-by dates because that’s just shelf life and the date people need to get it off their supermarket shelves but it doesn’t mean it has gone bad. If it doesn’t look bad to me, if it doesn’t smell bad, I’d still use it. For the best-before date, it’s a bit tricky when it comes to milk but if it’s pasteurised, doesn’t taste sour or bad, I’d still drink it or use it for cooking. And for bread, if I don’t see mould on it I’d just toast it. There are other ways to use these food items.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Different types of food have varying lifespans and keeping them at the correct places helps to maximise their shelf lives and minimise spoilage and food wastage.

To clear out food products that are near-expiring efficiently, make it a point to a cook a use-it-up meal using only what’s available in the kitchen on a weekly basis. Pick up more tips on handling food at Save Food Cut Waste and Clean and Green Singapore.

Oh Min Suk and Kang Ye Won to Leave ′We Got Married′

Oh Min Suk and Kang Ye Won will be stepping off of We Got Married 4.

A media outlet reported on February 18 that Oh Min Suk and Kang Ye Won, who have been appearing as a virtual couple on MBC′s We Got Married, will be exiting the show after nine months.Oh Min Suk and Kang Ye Won are filming the final episode today, and producers are searching for a couple to replace them.

Oh Min Suk and Kang Ye Won joined We Got Married 4 in June of last year and received a lot of love from viewers.

Meanwhile, Oh Min Suk, who recently wrapped KBS weekend drama All About My Mom is currently taking a break while reviewing his next project, while Kang Ye Won′s film Come Watch Me is slated for release in April.

Kanye West 'wants the best' for Taylor Swift

The 'Only One' hitmaker has praised the 'Shake It Off' star just days after he released a song claiming he "made her famous".

Speaking in a video obtained by X17, he said: "I want the best for that person. But it's people going through real issues out here. It's people that's out of work. It's people that's in debt that can't make it out of the debt. There's people in debt that don't have a shoe. There's people that's in debt that don't have a hit album out also.

"The media tries to make this ongoing story and everything for hits. I don't think people care about me or her in that way. People care about their families, their kids. If you like my music, listen to it. If you like her music, listen to it."

Meanwhile, the 38-year-old rapper previously took to Twitter to insist he didn't "diss" the 26-year-old singer in his song.

In a series of tweets, he wrote: "I did not diss Taylor Swift and I've never dissed her ... First thing is I'm an artist and as an artist I will express how I feel with no censorship ... 2nd thin I asked my wife for her blessings and she was cool with it ...

"3rd thing I called Taylor and had a hour long convo with her about the line and she thought it was funny and gave her blessings ... 4th Bitch is an endearing term in hip hop like the word n***a (sic)"

Grace Chan, Kevin Cheng celebrate love with home-cooked meal, reality TV

Instead of pulling out all the stops to celebrate Valentine’s Day, Hong Kong actors Grace Chan and Kevin Cheng are one A-list star couple who kept things simple — he made pasta, she cooked bacon-wrapped scallops, and they watched reruns of American Idol on television.

Though it was the first time she prepared that dish, “it was successful,” Grace added. “Well, that’s what he said. I thought it was pretty good too.”

But, wait — American Idol? “Random, right?” the 24-year-old Brother’s Keeper II actress said. “He loves to sing, so when we watch it he’s always so impressed.”

“And I think it’s really cool seeing that side of him, that child-like side, he gets really excited or he’ll sing along if he knows the song.”

At a interview session held yesterday to promote new and upcoming TVB drama series on Starhub TV, Grace and other actors from the Hong Kong network — Natalie Tong, Joel Chan, Kristal Tin and Raymond Wong — gave us insights on what makes them tick when it comes to love.

Grace’s year-old relationship with Kevin frequently makes headlines, not least because of their uncommon 22-year age gap. But the actress unequivocally denied they were planning to tie the knot soon.

“I’m definitely not going to rush into anything,” she said. “As much as we wait for a good relationship to come, we should also wait for a good time for marriage.”

But one step in that direction the couple have taken so far: meeting the parents over Chinese New Year. “His mom is lovely and super easy to talk to,” she said. “When it’s just the two of us, she’s all like, ‘My son is like this and this’ — she’s selling him to me! And I tell her, ‘Aunty, we’re dating, I already like him, don’t worry!’”

“Please marry him!” Natalie interjected.

“In the future!” Grace replied.

Keeping mum

While Grace is open with her love life, Natalie, 34, prefers to keep the details to herself. The Short End of the Stick actress is reportedly seeing fellow TVB actor Tony Hung, 32, who hasn’t made their relationship official.

“I didn’t confirm it either!” Natalie said with a laugh. “I’d rather keep it natural, I’m not used to announcing such things.”

But isn’t she tempted at all, seeing how content Grace is? “That’s fine, I’m happy on the inside!” Natalie said. How much so? “Not telling you!” she replied, laughing again.

Joel, 39, the only unattached actor among the group, holds a mellow approach to love, even though he jokingly said his ideal partner would possess “Grace’s smarts, Natalie’s sexiness, the good looks of both, and that’s enough.”

Speaking of his history — his divorce in 2010 and his subsequent relationship with Macau casino tycoon Stanley Ho’s daughter Florinda — he said he’ll take a different path now.

“If I pick again I think I’ll go for a wife,” he said. “I hope to have my own family, because I see friends around me settle down and have children. And seeing them happy and still working at jobs they love, I hope the heavens will grant me such a chance.”

Marital arts

Kristal Tin and Raymond Wong, who both wed in 2005, may be known for their strong marriages, but they reject being called exemplary couples.

“We’re ordinary couples,” said Kristal, 38. “Not much different from ordinary friends! This is important, because if you’re too close you’ll fight.”

Raymond, 40, now starring in police procedural comedy K9 Cop, elaborated that he and his wife, stylist Kaka Mok, often argue, especially now that they have two sons, Kayden, 4, and Ransley, 2. “Every day we’re tired, and all our energy is spent on the kids, so we have less time to communicate,” he said.

Though the quarrels are often about trivial matters, Raymond said he’s usually the first to yield.

“There’s nothing wrong with apologising,” said Kristal, who’s married to actor Chapman To (his directorial debut, Let’s Eat!, premiered here on February 5). “It’s about clearing the way for a dignified exit for your partner.”

And does Chapman do that?

“Of course!” she said. “Every morning! He rolls out the carpet, and there are flower petals being tossed in from both sides!”

K9 Cop and Short End of the Stick are now airing on Starhub TV; Brother’s Keeper II will debut later this year.

Jane Fonda's body image issues

Jane Fonda had "massive body image issues" growing up.

The 'Barbarella' star claims she struggled to find herself anything other than "fat and unattractive" after her confidence was dented by her father.

She said: "I grew up with massive body image [issues] - my father made me feel that I was fat and unattractive and I don't think he realised how destructive it was."

However, in a joint interview, Lena Dunham insisted her parents were always supportive of her, whatever shape she was.

The 'Girls' star added: "Despite a knowledge that my body didn't necessarily meet a perfect norm, I've also always felt [comfortable] - and I think a lot of it does come from my parents and that even in our most challenging moments, they've always sent me the message that I was, at my very core, 'enough.'"

And Lena's own self-confidence inspired her characters on the hit show where she found fame.

She added to Paper magazine: "All the characters I play always dress like they're a size 0 when they're actually a size 10. Some might call it 'delusional' and I like to think about it as this sort of rocket confidence that's a little unearned but better than the opposite.

"I think that it was important to me also to announce that 'this is what I look like. I don't have an interest in changing unless it's on my own terms' - I won't say I'll never lose weight in my life, but it'd have to be for reasons that made sense to me and weren't to try to meet some industry standard."

Ahn Jae Wook’s daughter born

South Korean actor Ahn Jae Wook, 44, announced the birth of his first child with a photo on Instagram yesterday. His daughter was born on February 16 in the wee hours of the morning.

The actor’s management agency issued a statement saying the couple were thrilled to become parents and were grateful for the well-wishes from friends and family. Husband and wife hoped their daughter will grow up healthy and they will return to acting soon with better productions.

Jae Wook married Choi Hyun Joo, 33, a stage actress, last June after just a 3-month courtship, and the couple announced they were expecting their first child in late June.

The couple hosted a baby shower in January, and they revealed their child’s nickname, “Han-bang” (for “first time”), alluded to it being conceived on their wedding night, which got fans tittering that it was too kinky for a child’s nickname.

Shin Min Ah Opens Up About Love

Shin Min Ah shared her thoughts on love.

Shin Min Ah is featured on the cover of Cosmopolitan′s March issue, which also includes an interview captures the stars′ charms.During the interview following the photo shoot, Shin Min Ah shared her thoughts on love.

Shin Min Ah said love is important in life, saying "Because love is the strength of life. Maybe that′s why when you receive love, you feel more beautiful. Of course there may be a physical difference, but as you feel fulfilled inside, you gain more confidence, which makes you more beautiful."

Meanwhile, Shin Min Ah′s interview and spread can be found in the March issue of Cosmopolitan.

Beau buys Jolin Tsai Taiwan street food for Valentine’s Day

Here’s what Taiwanese pop singer Jolin Tsai, 35, feasted on on Valentine’s Day: steamed pork belly buns, mee sua noodles, braised pork rice, soy bean milk and jiaozi (Chinese dumplings).

The singer and her boyfriend of six years, model Vivian Dawson, 29, drove out for food on Sunday. To protect Jolin from the unseasonably chilly weather, Vivian let her stay in the car while he bundled up in a beanie and jacket and went to make his purchases.

The couple made stops at a Formosa Chang food outlet and Taipei’s Linjiang Street (Tonghua) Night Market during their trip.

Since she started seeing Vivian, Jolin developed a taste for Taiwanese street food. The couple have also been spotted at Ningxia and Raohe Street night markets in Taipei, leading fans to jokingly dub Asia’s Dancing Queen the best spokeswoman for night markets.

Kanye West slams US cost of education

Kanye West has slammed the cost of school text books in the US and called for teachers to be paid more.

The 38-year-old rapper - who last weekend claimed he owes $53 million in bills - has taken to Twitter to demand education be made cheaper in America after revealing one of his pals earns $370 a day but has to fork out $400 for one school text book for her child.

Kanye - who has two children, daughter North, two, and two-month-old son Saint with wife Kim Kardashian West - wrote in a Twitter rant: "I have a friend who works really hard and makes $370 dollars a day...

"Her son just got in a really good school and his textbooks are like $400 dollars each ...

"I mean, his mom has to work 2 days just to afford 1 book for her son ...

"she's giving everything she has to make sure her son has a better future...

"Steve Jobs wanted to lower the cost of textbooks...

"Education puts Americans into debt before they even get a chance to get started...

"We have to lower the price of textbooks...

"I'd rather teachers got paid more and books cost less ... #2020 (sic)"

Kanye's 2020 hashtag appears to be a reference to his previously announced plans to run for President of the United States in four years.

The 'Bound 2' hitmaker made the announcement at the MTV Video Music Awards last year, and shortly afterwards current President Barack Obama gave him a few words of advice.

Appearing to refer to Kanye's reality TV star wife Kim, he said: "In case Kanye's serious about this whole POTUS thing, or as he calls it, Peezy, I do have advice for him;

"You've got to deal with strange characters who behave as if they are on a reality TV show. So you've got to be cool with that."