Latest news with #ChineseLunarNewYear
New Straits Times
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- New Straits Times
#SHOWBIZ: Shila finds balance in stardom, family life
UNLIKE many local artistes, Shila Amzah found the past Ramadan to be a period of tranquil reflection, affording her the perfect opportunity to observe the holy month and cherish time with her family. She says that her husband, Ubaidillah Zulkefli, whom she married in 2013, often remarks that she's the antithesis of most other artistes, who are typically inundated with shoots during Ramadan. Shila, whose real name is Nurshahila Amir Amzah, notes that her busiest period tends to be in the weeks leading up to the Chinese Lunar New Year. This is a natural consequence of Shila's established presence in the Chinese-speaking market, particularly in China, a connection forged after her participation in the Shanghai-based reality show 'Asian Wave' in 2012. The 35-year-old artiste's unique appearance has resonated with audiences there, setting her apart from the prevailing norms. Recently, Shila graced the stage at the 15th Beijing International Film Festival, and earlier last month, she was a featured performer at Wang Leehom's 'The Free Show' event. Shila expressed her delight at performing the song 'Forever Love' as a duet with the 48-year-old Taiwanese-American superstar. Describing the opportunity as a dream realised, Shila sees the experience as proof that no aspiration is unattainable. "Growing up, he was one of my idols," shares Shila, who also performed the song during the preliminary round of 'Asian Wave'. Shila's musical journey began at the tender age of 9, and she eventually released her debut album a year after her 'Asian Wave' victory. Her experience and exposure on the show not only cemented her status but also earned her a six-year recording contract with Shanghai Media Group, prompting her extended stay in China. "I'm comfortable with my following there, and, I travel there monthly for work commitments," says Shila, who is the daughter of famous 1980s singer Datuk Amir Amzah Salleh a.k.a. ND Lala. When asked about the possibility of relocating to China, Shila explains, "I lived there for eight years previously, but now, with two children, my trips are limited to around two weeks at a time." "My eldest child has special needs, which makes prolonged separation from my family challenging. Frequent schedule adjustments can be disruptive for him," she elaborates. Shila expresses her gratitude for the opportunity to spend Ramadan and the festive season with her family, particularly as her youngest child, born last May, approaches significant milestones. "I wouldn't want to miss her first words or her first steps," she says. She seems to have the best of both worlds, having built strong fan bases in Malaysia and China. So, for her Malaysian fans, Shila is currently working on her next Malay album with Nova Music. "It's been quite some time since my last Malay album," Shila acknowledges. "As this year marks my 25th anniversary as a recording artiste, it feels like the perfect time to release this album." Shila reveals that the album, her second self-titled release after her 2013 debut, will feature more than 10 songs, with the first single expected next month and the full album to follow in June or July. With the album's release on the horizon, Shila hints at the possibility of a concert to commemorate her silver jubilee in the music industry. "Stay tuned for an announcement," she says excitedly.
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Singapore Kwek clan's CDL investor meeting turns acrimonious
By: Low De Wei and Sheryl Tian Tong Lee (Bloomberg) — A longtime board member of City Developments Ltd., the property giant controlled by Singapore's wealthiest family, lashed out at several other directors on Wednesday over a recent feud that rocked the developer and the billionaire Kwek clan. The Singapore-listed company's annual general meeting was meant to show a united front between its executive chairman Kwek Leng Beng, his son and chief executive officer Sherman Kwek, and the rest of its 11-member board. Instead, sparks flew after several directors began bickering about how two new board members were hurriedly appointed in February, after they were voted in by a majority of the board despite the chairman's opposition. The development caused a rift within the Kwek family, and led Leng Beng to seek Sherman's dismissal as CEO shortly after. 'I am very disappointed in the way the two new directors were appointed,' said Philip Yeo, a former top Singapore civil servant who has been a non-executive director at CDL since 2009. He said he opposed the reelection of the pair and two other directors at Wednesday's shareholders meeting. The Kwek family feud became public in late February, when the elder Kwek accused Sherman of orchestrating a boardroom coup at CDL — an allegation the CEO denied. That month, the octogenarian, Yeo and two other CDL directors filed a lawsuit in a Singapore court against Sherman and a majority of the board. After the dispute escalated, the case was dropped in mid-March. A statement from Leng Beng then said he and Sherman would continue in their roles, and all board members had 'agreed to put aside their differences for the greater good of CDL and its stakeholders.' Yeo's remarks showed that there are still tensions among board members of the 62-year-old company. Jennifer Duong Young, who spent 21 years at Credit Suisse, and Wong Su-Yen, a former chair of the Singapore Institute of Directors, joined CDL's board in February. They were nominated by two independent CDL directors on the eve of the Chinese Lunar New Year, and appointed a week and a half later. The company said in its annual report that their appointments took place 'without the usual process of prior review and recommendation' by the board's nominating committee. When asked on Wednesday to justify her rushed appointment, Wong came up with an analogy of a doctor bypassing hospital protocol requiring parental consent for a life-saving procedure, in order to save a child bitten by a venomous snake. 'If I wait, and I cannot find the parent, the child may die,' she said. She was interrupted by Yeo, who said independent director appointments should be unanimously approved, in his view. 'There must be consensus. It should not be by a majority of directors pushing, and disregarding the chairman,' Yeo said. He said some CDL directors put themselves on the board of the company's Millennium & Copthorne Hotels subsidiary without the approval of Leng Beng, who is also the unit's chairman. 'That's totally improper,' Yeo said. Despite Yeo's comments, which drew applause from some meeting attendees, all five of CDL's independent directors who were up for reelection were reappointed on Wednesday afternoon by an overwhelming majority of shareholders. The Kwek clan owns nearly half of CDL's shares, with ownership spread among multiple family members. In a presentation about CDL's performance, Sherman said the developer has gone through a difficult period and is 'at one of the lowest points.' The 49-year-old added that the recent board dispute has also affected its shareholders. The company earlier reported a 37% drop in 2024 profit to S$201.3 million ($153 million), missing analysts' estimates. Sherman said CDL's interest expenses of S$589 million last year eroded profits, and reducing its high debt load is a priority. Referring to the interest payments CDL had to make, he quipped that it sometimes feels like 'I'm working for the bank.' Around 450 people attended CDL's annual general meeting, according to a company spokesperson. It was held at one of the company's downtown Singapore hotels, and there was an overflow room and webcast to accommodate the larger-than-usual turnout. 'The meeting was quite a disaster,' said Gary Saw, a CDL shareholder who attended the event. 'It shows a real division among the management, board, and interests of minority shareholders,' said the 56-year-old. He said the 'unnecessary conflicts' have hurt CDL's share price, and been detrimental to its shareholders. 'Family businesses will have family dynamics but this shouldn't be happening in a professionally run company,' said Saw, who works at a tech startup. CDL's shares have declined more than 70% from a 2007 peak, and have underperformed most Singapore-listed real estate stocks since Sherman became the company's CEO in 2018. They were down around 4% this year through Wednesday's close. Sherman pledged at the meeting to improve CDL's performance, saying that it expects divestments in 2025 to exceed the roughly S$600 million the developer made in 2024. The firm fell short of a S$1 billion target that year. He also said he will explore listing CDL's UK assets under a real estate investment trust when market conditions permit, after a previous planned listing a few years ago was shelved. 'The results are unsatisfactory,' he said in response to another question. 'I'm not making excuses.' More stories like this are available on ©2025 Bloomberg L.P.
BBC News
21-02-2025
- General
- BBC News
Inside Abbey House: how can the museum's future be secured?
For 873 years, Grade II-listed Abbey House has stood in the shadow of Kirkstall Abbey, three miles west of Leeds city centre. Since 1927, the museum has afforded a window into Victorian Yorkshire, but last year it was threatened with closure amid a notable decline in visitors over the past three from campaigners forced the council to u-turn on the proposals, but with visitor numbers estimated at 39,000 in 2023/24, councillors are exploring how to ensure the museum's long-term future. "In an ever-growing world of Netflix and social media, you have got to constantly find ways to get people's attention and get them through the door," says Salma Arif, of Leeds City Council. On a tour of the attraction, Arif enthused over "the inter-generational interaction", as grandparents and grandchildren enjoyed the museum's half-term activities. "As soon as you walk in, it is like you're in a different world," she says, standing on the cobbles of 'The Streets' - a replica Leeds streetscape from the 1880s, complete with an apothecary, ironmongers and a pub."Every time I come here, I feel as though I have gone through a time capsule". As part of this year's Chinese Lunar New Year celebrations, lanterns and snakes are strung from the rafters of the antique Year of the Snake exhibition runs until the end of half-term and an influx of families are enjoying the themed decorations which adorn the Victorian streetscape."It is really lovely to see the inter-generational interaction here, children with grandmas and grandpas; we just need little bit more of that," says, Arif, the executive member for adult social care, active lifestyles and culture. The closure of the museum was put forward as part of efforts to save money at the cash-strapped Arif says the proposal was met with the "strongest response in her memory", with around 10,000 people getting in touch to oppose the move."Going forward, what more can we do that can help with footfall?" she wonders."My hope is that the passion we saw in the consultation is replicated in numbers [visiting]."Pressures still remain; I think it is getting people through the door that can justify keeping it open." Beyond 'The Streets' authentic Victorian-era stores, whose wares include Burmantofts pottery and traditional tobacco, the museum offers a glimpse into the sometimes grim realities of life in a Victorian Allen, learning and access officer at the museum, believes it is this insight which makes the museum unique among Leeds' many cultural attractions."This is a museum of everyday life," she says, walking under windows strung with laundry."It is really important we keep everyday working-class people's stories alive."Most people do not live in a stately home, most people are not lucky enough to have an amazing array of Chippendale furniture, but most people do have a grandma who had a bath in front of the fire. " Among the visitors enjoying the museum is Pennie Keech."It is lovely," says the grandmother-of-two: "A completely different set of new things to see - so worthwhile coming," she husband, Andrew, has been coming to the museum for the past 70 years: "I like the toys - a lot of it goes back to my youth."On the upper level of the museum, doll-houses and teddies adorn the year a 'storytime' exhibition displaying children's books dating back more than 200 years is also on show."It makes me feel nostalgic," says Andrew. Originally, the core of the heritage building served as the inner gatehouse to Kirkstall following Henry VIII's dissolution of the monasteries, it was repurposed into a farmhouse - a home for the owners of nearby Kirkstall Forge and a lodging for the coronavirus pandemic, it was subsequently used as a cafe, but with plummeting visitor numbers to the museum, the cafe was moved across the A65 and into the Abbey Riding thinks a cafe should be reinstated - and in one of many members of the public to pass on their suggestions to the council."We have passed on all sorts of ideas," she says, sipping a coffee under the arches of the Cistercian monastery."Developing the Norman Hall for events, a daytime café or an evening venue for food and drink... I would like to see it thriving," the former teacher Riding was one of the 150 campaigners who fought for the museum's future during a protest last month."It means a lot to the people of Leeds: 10,000 people returned the consultation forms, there was a petition which 5,000 people signed."We should not ever lose our culture."Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North or tell us a story you think we should be covering here.
New York Times
11-02-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Who Needs Hollywood? Chinese Animated Film Shatters Box Office Records.
The new king of the Chinese box office is an adorably ugly, demonic child fighting off monsters. In less than two weeks since its release, 'Ne Zha 2,' an animated film based loosely on Chinese mythology and a famous 16th century novel, has become the highest-grossing movie ever in China, with more than $1 billion in ticket sales. It is also the first film not made by a Hollywood studio to cross that mark. The blockbuster delivered a rare dose of good news for the Chinese film industry, which is struggling with anemic ticket sales and a slumping economy. The few films that break through the malaise are no longer Hollywood titles, but domestic features teeming with patriotic messaging or rooted in traditional Chinese culture or folklore. 'Ne Zha 2' is a sequel to what had been the highest-grossing animated film in China. In the 2019 original, Nezha is born as the reincarnation of a demon with supernatural powers, but destined to live only three years. He fights back against his fate and saves his village. In the sequel, Nezha revisits a similar theme. He challenges the political order and authority governing gods and demons, fighting the Dragon King of the Four Seas and other creatures. ' 'Ne Zha 2' is the rare movie that hits all the marks,' said Raymond Zhou, an independent Chinese film critic. 'It targets all demographics, and has successfully won over all of them.' The movie has pulled in $1.2 billion in ticket sales since its release on Jan. 29, at the start of the Chinese Lunar New Year holiday, according to Maoyan, a Chinese entertainment data provider. Its haul is already more than double the highest-grossing movie of 2024. The film, distributed by CMC Pictures, will be released in North America on Friday. Chinese state media and Communist Party officials celebrated the movie's success, portraying it as a recognition of China's cultural influence. 'Chinese culture is constantly moving forward in inheritance and innovation and showing its unique charm,' wrote the Global Times, a Communist Party tabloid. China Daily, a state-run newspaper, said in an opinion essay that 'Ne Zha 2' symbolizes the country's 'growing cultural confidence.' It called it evidence that China's entertainment industry is telling its own stories instead of relying on Western studios to make movies based on Chinese folklore, citing 'Mulan' from Walt Disney Studios as an example. ' 'Ne Zha 2' reclaims the storytelling mantle, proving that no one can narrate China's myths better than China itself,' the essay stated. Traditional Chinese culture has also inspired breakthroughs in other forms of entertainment. In video games, Black Myth: Wukong, based on a classic 16th century Chinese novel called 'Journey to the West,' was an instant hit when it came out last year. Until 'Ne Zha 2,' the top-grossing Chinese films tapped into the country's deepening nationalistic fervor. The previous No. 1, 'The Battle at Lake Changjin,' is a 2021 film about a group of Chinese volunteers who defeated American soldiers during the Korean War. Close behind was 'Wolf Warrior 2,' a 2017 action film in which a Chinese former special forces soldier takes on an American villain. It's been a tough stretch overall for Chinese films, however. Box office sales fell 23 percent last year, according to the China Film Administration, a government regulator. The industry has gotten a boost from China's broader efforts to stimulate consumer spending and reinvigorate a sluggish economy. The government added an extra day to the more than weeklong New Year holiday, giving moviegoers more time to go to the theater. In addition, there were discounts, subsidies and other incentives for movie tickets. But Mr. Zhou, the film critic, said the incentives did not explain the success of 'Ne Zha 2.' He credited the franchise's popularity to its spin on classic tales and characters, resonating with younger audiences. As the world's second-largest movie market, after the United States, Chinese audiences were once a dependable source of ticket sales for Hollywood blockbusters. That is no longer the case. Last year, 'Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire' was the only U.S. movie in the top 10 of China's box office, ranking ninth. In 2023, no American film cracked the top 10. Hu Xijin, a former editor in chief of the Global Times, said China's decision to open up to Hollywood films in the 1990s helped advance the country's movie industry, but China can now stand on its own. 'This is the best Chinese animation I have ever seen,' Mr. Hu wrote on Weibo, a social media platform. 'The era when Chinese people looked up to Hollywood cartoons like 'Kung Fu Panda' and marveled at them is over.'
Globe and Mail
05-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Globe and Mail
The Hubei Media Group released a video: The Chinese Circle in the Spring Festival
Recently, Hubei Media Group released a short video about the Spring Festival in the Yangtze River Basin: The Chinese Circle in the Spring Festival. The Spring Festival, one of the most grand and distinctive traditional festivals in China, was officially inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity on December 4, 2024. The Chinese Lunar New Year begins with the Spring Festival, and the festival kicks off with a family reunion dinner on New Year's Eve. This year is the Year of the Snake according to the lunar calendar. On New Year's Eve, a greedy snake, enticed by the aroma of the reunion dinner, travels through 13 provinces along the Yangtze River, tasting dishes that showcase the rich Yangtze River culture. Each dish on the Spring Festival reunion dinner table carries a beautiful blessing. By eating the dish, the blessing will accompany the person throughout the year. Which one is its favorite? And which one will you fall in love with? Click to learn more → About Hubei Media Group Hubei Media Group, approved by the National Radio and Television Administration as the first national-level radio, film and television media base in Central China, integrates radio, film, television, new media businesses, and industries. It features a strategic layout that includes smart broadcasting, integrated sharing, and the 5G+4K+AI integration. Hubei Radio and Television Station manages 8 TV channels, 7 radio frequencies, 13 affiliated institutions, and 17 municipal and state-level new media journalism stations. It also has 25 companies that are wholly owned, controlled, or affiliated, employing a total of 16,000 people and boasting total assets of 28.5 billion RMB. The Tortoise Mountain TV Tower, funded and built by Hubei Radio and Television Station, spans a total area of 405,400 square meters. It features a 203.5-meter-high, 40-story tower, along with an 11-story annex building with supporting facilities that reaches 64.5 meters in height. Media Contact Company Name: Open Hubei(HICC) Contact Person: Li Xin Email: Send Email Country: China Website:
