The surrogacy scandal involving Chinese actress Zheng Shuang continues to snowball on social media, as her ex-boyfriend Zhang Heng exposed more evidence recently about her abandoning their two children born via surrogacy. The scandal erupted on Jan. 18, as Zhang released a conversation recorded after they split, in which Zheng cruelly suggested either aborting or abandoning the babies before they were born.
Under huge criticism, Italian luxury brand Prada quickly announced the next day its decision to cut all ties with the actress, just nine days after appointing her as an endorser. China’s National Radio and Television Administration followed shortly by declaring that it will “never give a chance for those who have committed scandals and misdeeds to show their faces.”
In addition, the controversy has now caused a debate over surrogacy. While surrogacy is illegal in China, those paying for such services overseas could not be charged under Chinese laws. However, Zheng’s abandonment of her children is subject to the jurisdiction of Chinese laws.
Photo: Reuters 照片:路透
(Eddy Chang, Taipei Times)
中國人氣女星鄭爽爆出代孕棄子醜聞,她的前男友張恒近日舉證她遺棄他們透過代孕生的兩名子女,讓新聞在社群網站上持續延燒。而這起醜聞在一月十八日爆發,當時張恒公布他們分手後的錄音對話,顯示鄭爽曾殘酷地說,要將尚未出生的兩名嬰兒流產或棄養。
在巨大批評聲浪之下,義大利精品普拉達於次日宣布,立即和鄭爽解除一切合作關係,該公司在此九天前才剛指定她為品牌代言人。中國的國家廣播電視總局隨後亦宣布封殺她,並痛批:「我們不會為醜聞劣跡者提供發聲露臉的機會和平台。」
這次爭議也引發對代孕的辯論,代孕生子在中國算是違法行為,在海外接受付費代孕服務則不受國內法規範。然而鄭爽惡意遺棄子女的部分,仍屬於中國法律的管轄範圍內。
(台北時報張聖恩)
A: In your view, what are Taipei’s top buffet restaurants? B: Feastogether Group’s outlets — A Joy, Inparadise, Eatogether, Sunrise and Fruitful Food — are the runners-up. A: A Joy’s deluxe meal, priced at NT$3,880 per person plus a 10-percent service charge, is the most expensive of its kind. B: My No. 1 goes to Hi-Lai Group’s outlets — including Island and Hi-Lai Harbour. A: I feel like I’ve gained 3 kilograms just from hearing all the options. A: 你心目中最強的吃到飽餐廳是? B: 亞軍是饗賓集團的吃到飽品牌︰饗、饗饗、饗食天堂、旭集、果然匯。 A: 饗每人高達3,880台幣加一成,是全台最貴的吃到飽! B: 冠軍則是漢來集團旗下的品牌︰島語、漢來海港。 A: 哈聽到這麼多吃到飽,我感覺又胖了3公斤。 (By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times/台北時報張迪)
A: In recent years, all-you-can-eat buffet restaurants have become the highest growing dining sector. What are some of the best buffets in Taipei? B: In my opinion, No. 10 to No. 7 are: Renaissance Taipei Shihlin Hotel’s Shihlin Kitchen, Denwell Group’s Feng Food, Grand Mayfull Hotel Taipei’s Palette and Shin Yeh Group’s Nagomi. A: The all-you-can-eat Japanese Wagyu beef at Shihlin Kitchen is superb. B: No. 6 to No. 3 are the “Big Four:” Sheraton Grand Taipei Hotel’s Kitchen 12, Grand Hyatt Taipei’s The Cafe, Regent Taipei’s Brasserie and Le Meridien Taipei’s Discovery Kitchen. A: Wow, all four
As summer approaches, people everywhere start enjoying frozen treats, especially the increasingly popular “gelato.” This Italian-style ice cream features vibrant colors and intense flavors. Made primarily with milk and often featuring seasonal fruits, gelato has a lower fat content of 4–8 percent compared with ice cream’s 10–14 percent. These ingredients ensure each spoonful is fresh and flavorful. The magic of gelato also lies in its texture and density. Unlike ice cream, which is stirred faster and harder, gelato is blended slowly by craftsmen. This process introduces less air into the mix, thus creating a creamy texture that is denser and smoother
★ Bilingual Story is a fictionalized account. 雙語故事部分內容純屬虛構。 Uneasy voices started to ripple through the lines of anxious students outside the school gate. “No signal?” “VPN’s down too.” “Wait — is this a cyberattack?” Nothing loaded on Jun’s phone either. Not his AI tutor, Echo. Not any app. Not even the Internet. Jun stood shoulder to shoulder with hundreds of other students outside the school gate. It was national exam day and the early July air was thick with heat and now charged with anxiety. The scene of everyone’s head hunched over their phones, cramming vocab,