A record 150,000 people poured into Victoria Park last night to pay homage to those who died in and around Beijing’s Tiananmen Square 20 years ago.

The turnout claimed by organizers for the June 4 candlelight vigil would therefore equal the 150,000 who turned up for the first anniversary of the crackdown in 1990. Police, however, put last night’s attendance at 62,800 - the second highest turnout, as they estimated the 1990 figure at 80,000.

By contrast, only about 300 attended a similar ceremony in neighboring Macau last night.

Szeto Wah, chairman of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China which organized the event, said he was more than happy as the attendance exceeded all expectations.

Because of the huge turnout, the 8pm start of the vigil was put back 30 minutes since all six football fields were packed with more people streaming in.

Around 8.20pm, the organizer opened a basketball court and an adjoining lawn to accommodate the overflow.

Veteran democrat Martin Lee Chu- ming said he was proud of those who had turned up. "Those who showed up tonight represent the views of the Chinese populations all over the world. It also shows young people have not forgotten June 4," Lee said.

Before the one-minute silence, Szeto led a group of young students who were born in 1989 to lay a wreath while the names of known victims of the crackdown were read

out. The crowd then sang and lit candles while calling for a vindication of those who lost their lives.

One of the highlights of the vigil was the broadcast of an audio clip recorded by the late premier Zhao Ziyang while he was under house arrest.

In it, Zhao reaffirmed claims the students at Tiananmen Square in 1989 had been law abiding.

Also present was Xiong Yan, the first Tiananmen student leader to take part in the Alliance’s activity in Hong Kong. "Hong Kong is the pride of China and even the whole world because the Hong Kong people uphold freedom. The world will treasure Hong Kong and her people," said Xiong, adding he was happy to be back on Chinese soil.

Before the vigil ended at 10pm, legislator Lee Cheuk-yan called on all people to join the upcoming July 1 rally.

According to a declaration at the vigil, "June 4 was the dark age of contemporary Chinese history. We again light the candle as we have lit it for the past 20 years."

Though the declaration does not accuse Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen by name, it condemns those who "buried their conscience."

The declaration read: "Regrettably, 20 years on, people who have buried their conscience express mistaken ideas, saying that 20 years of successful development will help people to arrive at an `objective evaluation’ of June 4. Does this mean that economic development can legalize and legitimize the June 4 massacre?

"Does it mean Hong Kong should cover up the crime of those in power for the sake of economic interests? Let us hold our candles, hold our dignity and conscience high, to light up Hong Kong, light up China, and not to allow ignorant leaders riding on the heads of the people to continue their arrogant ways. Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen, can you hear us?"

Tsang’s remarks last month sparked public outrage as he glossed over the June 4 crackdown by speaking of the mainland’s economic development over the years. He also said his views represented Hong Kong people in general.

Among those who showed up were Lasse Markus Galschiot and Kasper Markus, sons of the Danish sculptor Jens Galschiot who made the Pillar of Shame to commemorate the 1989 crackdown.

Others said they attended the vigil to show Tsang he could not speak for them.

Hello Kitty Online has shook the gaming industry with a Hype Rating of 8.34 and claimed the TOP SEAT for Most popular mmorpg. Best thing is, ITS NOT EVEN OUT YET. Reposted from here.

"HKO doesn’t have PvP it has PvCS. This makes all PvP, especially using internet spaceships, all pink and fluffy."
"im sorry but i don’t understand the obsession behind this game. Im not trying to troll but i really want to know how this game appeals to you and why does this have such a high hype rating. i can’t understand it when there many other cool games coming out such as chronicles of spellborn etc. is there something im missing please tell me why you like this game so much maybe im wrong and this game does have something really cool to offer…"

"i rather play hello kitty then age of conan thats for damn sure."

"I also would rather play HKO than AoC, I tried AoC actually, nice but run of the mill"

"Don’t you ever insult Hello Kitty Online.
EVER. AGAIN."

"I remember checking Hello Kitty Online out when some people were saying "Hello Kitty Online —->" on the EVE forums, and I have to say, I think it looks like a damn good game!"

"Perhaps, but Warhammer was supposed to be the "WoW-killer" for the past year or so. Having not succeeded in that mission despite the the number of rave hype reviews, I say HKO has the next best chance…which isn’t saying much at all. Nevertheless, it’ll be interesting to tap into HKO and fiddle with the game to see how it is different."

Such responses, how can a game with such loyal fans not be GREAT?

I agree!

Bruce Lee playing Ping Pong, but with a nunchuk! Amazing old footage (used in a commercial thereafter, but still great to see, and at those times there were no special F/X like we know them today)

In a protest against Giorgio Armani’s continued use of fur in its latest collection, animal rights group Peta yesterday deployed two "angels" to rally the crowd outside the fashion house’s flagship store in Central.

"Armani promised us it would stop using fur last year," said Rebecca Chui Shin-ping, a spokeswoman for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, which is known for its aggressive campaigning. "But in his new collection he is using rabbit fur even for children’s clothes."

Armani said yesterday: "As a luxury fashion house, which has always been attentive to this issue, we feel we are being unfairly targeted in comparison to our competitors. In September we gave our commitment to Peta to refrain from future use of any animal furs other than humanely sourced rabbit fur."

However, Peta said its investigations found mainland farms that supplied fur to Armani were torturing rabbits. "Workers at the farm pull rabbits from cages by their ears and shoot them in the head with electric stun guns," its statement said.

Dressed in lingerie with wings and a halo, the protesters held up signs and attracted a small crowd of onlookers as they walked outside the store in Alexandra House. They stayed for about an hour.

Ms Chui said Peta started targeting the fashion house this year after it "broke its promise". Giorgio Armani had said he was convinced by Peta "not to use fur", according to a report on Time.com in July last year.

To press Armani to stop using fur, Peta planned to organise similar protests in the United States, Taiwan and the Philippines, Ms Chui said.

Ashley Fruno has been frequently used as a model for animal protection rights not just for PETA but has been active in Australia! It is pretty effective I’d say!

Hong Kong voters chose a new legislature, with pro-democracy parties retaining a law-blocking veto and the pro-business Liberal Party losing its top two leaders in surprise defeats.

Democrats held onto more than a third of the 60 council seats, potentially giving them power to alter bills that will shape the political future of the southern Chinese city, according to final results from the Hong Kong Election Commission. Liberal Party Chairman James Tien and Vice Chairwoman Selina Chow both lost their seats. Turnout was about 45 percent, compared with 55.6 percent in the 2004 election.

“The biggest loser would definitely be the Liberals, the so-called pro-business party,” Andrew Shuen, co-founder and research director at Hong Kong-based Lion Rock Institute, said in an interview today. “The people of Hong Kong want change. They voted for candidates who didn’t seem to have a chance to win.”

Candidates from parties supporting Chief Executive Donald Tsang had been expected to benefit from warmer ties with China and a surge of patriotism following the Olympics, political analyst Joseph Cheng said before the election.

China still picks the city’s chief executive. Hong Kong returned to Chinese rule in 1997, and the Chinese government has said it won’t allow direct elections for Tsang’s successor in 2012 or before 2020 for lawmakers.

Democrats’ Luck

“The democrats have been lucky,” Ivan Choy, a political science professor at Hong Kong’s Chinese University, said late yesterday.

The result may lead to gridlock in the 60-seat legislature, Shuen said. While the result gives the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong and its pro-government allies a majority in the Legislative Council, they fell short of the two-thirds it needs to push through bills.

“There are no winners in this election,” Shuen said. “The DAB has a mandate but not enough seats, while the democrats have enough seats but not a mandate.”

The other 30 seats in the legislature are drawn from so- called functional constituencies that represent special interests and industries, which usually support pro-China parties loyal to the city’s Chief Executive.

“We have to apologize to our supporters for doing badly,” Tien said today at a press conference broadcast on local television stations. Selina Chow resigned from the executive council and as vice chairman of the Liberal party, government- backed Radio Television Hong Kong reported. Tien also quit.

Democrats fought this election without two of their star figures: Martin Lee, the veteran legislator who helped found the Democratic Party, and Anson Chan, the former deputy leader of the government, who both decided not to seek re-election.

Kung Fu film star Jackie Chan Monday admitted that he acted in a porn movie 31 years ago, responding to a report revealed by Hong Kong media, Information Times reported Tuesday.

"I had to do anything I could to make a living 31 years ago, but I don’t think it’s a big deal, even Marlon Brando used to be exposed in his movies," Chan said. "The porn movie at that time was more conservative than the current films," he said.

Hong Kong netizens tipped local media that Chan was in the porn movie "All in the Family" in 1975, with a porn movie star who was famous at that time.

The Hong Kong made movie, directed by Zhu Mu, was defined as a comedy. Dean Shek, Tien Chun, and Sammo Hung were also co-stars.

Photo: ifensi.com

The folks at Sanrio are hosting an incredible event in Hong Kong called Hello Kitty Black Wonder which is also advertised here in Sanriotown.

The general mission is to rescue Hello Kitty and Daniel in a series of clues and games that herald a little bit of Alternate Reality Gaming. It is actually like a theme park really but in a gothic, dark sort of halloween way.

The video above I got from Sanriotown, some slideshows of the event.

The Graphics and design is funky, some pictures from Apple Daily.

Here’s poor Daniel in Jail, you have to go rescue him! Looks sort of cowboy western like.

Special items are also on sale and looks like they are selling quickly!

Kowk Chun-wai changed his plea yesterday and admitted publishing 84 pictures of female stars in sex acts with entertainer Edison Chen Koon-hei by posting hyperlinks to them.

He was warned he would probably go to jail.

Kwok Chun-wai, 24, is one of three people charged in relation to the celebrity nude pictures scandal that gripped the city early this year.

With the support of his parents and friends, Kwok appeared calm when he pleaded guilty in Kowloon City Court to three counts of publishing an obscene article by posting the internet links on January 29 and February 6.

He originally denied the charges in another court on June 3.

Principal Magistrate Andrew Ma Hon-cheung said he would likely impose a jail sentence, noting the offences were serious and had occurred on several occasions.

They can attract a maximum fine of HK$1 million and up to three years’ jail. Kwok was remanded to July 24 for sentencing, pending a background report.

The court was told Kwok had first downloaded the celebrity sex pictures from the internet and saved them to a file storage server, http://w13.easy-share.com, and later posted 25 hyperlinks on the Hong Kong-based adult discussion forum http://new-3lunch.net to direct Net users to the site and allow them to download the images.

Prosecutor Hayson Tse Ka-sze said that of all the posted hyperlinks, police found that only five led to celebrity sex pictures, Of the pictures, 84 ruled obscene by the Obscene Articles Tribunal on April 23 were cited in the charges. Some of the images showed oral sex.

Police arrested Kwok on February 10 at his Ngau Tau Kok home.

Barrister Ody Lai said her client had not realised the seriousness of his actions. What had motivated his offence was the community interest that had already been sparked [many similar pictures had already been posted on the internet] and a statement relating to them published in a Chinese newspaper by the Emperor Entertainment Group on January 28.

The group claimed the pictures were fake, the court heard.

The court was told Kwok was a hard-working employee with a good work record who had started a logistics degree at Caritas Francis Hsu College in January.

He was very remorseful over what he had done, Ms Lai said.

The celebrity sex photos sparked a huge controversy in February when hundreds of explicit pictures of Edison Chen and female celebrities were distributed by e-mail and messaging systems.

The photographs were of Chen with purportedly Canto-pop star Gillian Chung Yan-tung, actress Cecilia Cheung Pak-chi, former actress Bobo Chan Man-woon, model-actress Rachel Ngan Wing-sze, former singer Candice Chan Si-wai, 2001 Miss Chinese International contestant Mandy Chen Yu-ju and Vincy Yeung Wing-ching, niece of entertainment tycoon Albert Yeung Sau-shing.

Gillian Chung and Edison Chen have since made public apologies in relation to the pictures.

Chen is expected to return to the city in October for the trial of the remaining two people charged over the incident.

The first man arrested in relation to the scandal, Chung Yik-tin, was freed on February 15 after charges against him were withdrawn.

Or perhaps they do not want to understand us, from this post I saw this:

Sushipanda said that over half of my Chinese-Chinese friends on MSN have put the badge on their contact names, in defiance of all the anti-China bullying that they’re undoubtedly reading about in the Chinese newspapers, watching on the Chinese news, and scouring over on the hundreds of blogs and BBS’s peppering China’s cyberscape and devoted to propping up this country’s national pride.

TC suggested that outsiders are suggesting that the news in China is being censored and that Chinese citizens aren’t getting a balanced view of the reality of the international protests. But whatever the cause, this is a significant showing of Chinese nationalistic behavior, and a sign that they are paying attention to the outside world.

What is surprising is that the West and the western media appears to insist that things are bad in China, the Olympics is China’s call to the new century, about improvement, about progress, and about some pride. The only perception the West leaves us with is that you wish to deny this moment of glory to us, why would you do that? When South Korea had their Olympics from a corrupt and military state was there this protest? Infact you were all hailing the progress and hoping South Korea will improve after this, which it did, so why do you want to spoil it for China? Are you envious, jealous or feel that we do not deserve our entry into the word? Do you think us foolish or ignorant of the meaning of “freedom” or “democracy”?

Do not raise your false torch for your so called chaotic and revolutionary freedom that will bring misery and war. You claim the name of Tibet for an Olympic Boycott but the Da Lai Lama himself does not agree or advocate it.

There is much China needs to improve upon, nobody will disagree with you here. There is no question that human rights can be better, that poverty is a problem, that education is a problem, that censorship is a problem, but if you think boycott, revolution and drastic change is the answer, as your violent protests seem to indicate then you will have learnt nothing of China’s true bloodshed in its many revolutions.

She has starred in dozens of films and been photographed thousands of times for hundreds of magazines, but it’s still easy to miss Maggie Cheung Man-yuk in a crowd. The cafe in the Mandarin Oriental hotel is buzzing with the Friday evening mix of tai-tais, tycoons and investment bankers sipping Veuve Clicquot, and no one notices when the actress quietly slips into the room and cosies up in a booth at the back.

Cheung is beaming. Having been away from the big screen for four years - her last role was the troubled single mother and recovering junkie she portrayed in Clean - she seems carefree, stripped down to her real self. She is wearing a simple Balenciaga sweater, skinny trousers, boots from her favourite store, Top Shop, and a distressed leather Luella bag ("It came with some strings but I cut them off," she whispers, as if divulging a secret. "I love it because it will age well.") Cheung is here to talk about, among other things, her latest role - not in a film but as one of the stars in Lane Crawford’s Transitions fashion campaign, which debuts next month. In one of the two images featuring Cheung, shot by Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin, the actress is pictured wearing an Alexander McQueen hourglass dress that cages her body, transforming it into a dramatic silhouette. The image is erotic - Newton-esque in its depiction of the female form - and completely incongruous with the good-girl persona she portrays for brands such as Ebel and Oil of Olay.

"Wow," she exclaims, looking at the images with a naughty look in her eye. "This is going to be great!" Acting is what Cheung is best known for but fashion has long been an interest. From designing for jewellery brand Qeelin to being photographed by Patrick Demarchelier and serving as a muse for designers such as Nicolas Ghesquiere at Balenciaga, Cheung has become one of the industry’s leading style icons. An attempt five years ago to come up with some ideas for local clothing chain Izzue wasn’t such a success, however, and she’s vowed she’ll "never do it again. It took too much time and work, and fashion design doesn’t interest me.

"It’s a big bonus that I am a fashion icon but I still think [fashion] is a superficial thing," she says. "Yes, it’s a beautiful thing and I appreciate it very much … so I let myself gravitate towards it … but it’s not something I like to do all the time. It doesn’t … affect what I really am."

At 43, Cheung has changed significantly from when she starred in her first feature film, almost 23 years ago. Born in Hong Kong, she moved to Kent, in England, when she was eight, and stayed there until the early 80s, when she returned to Asia to start modelling. After finishing as first runner-up at the Miss Hong Kong Pageant in 1983 (she was a semi-finalist at the Miss World pageant that year), she secured a contract with Shaw Brothers Studios and starred in popular comedy Police Story (1985) with Jackie Chan. In 1988, she landed a role in As Tears Go By, directed by Wong Kar-wai, a man who would be key to her career. Successes followed, and so did awards - as well as numerous Hong Kong honours, Cheung picked up best actress accolades from the Berlin and Cannes film festivals and five Golden Horse Awards over the next two decades.

Such praise, however, was not enough to keep Cheung on the silver screen. After completing Clean, the actress drifted away from cinema, leaving critics to presume she has retired from the business altogether.

"No, I’m not retired; I am letting it be," she explains in a soft English accent. "I’m not looking to do another film but I am not saying yes to much else either. The only thing that could draw me back to getting up at 5.30am, being on the set at 6am, and doing hair and make-up for five hours, is something very special. It became the same cycle for every film; I don’t need that cycle any more.

"I am at such a nice time in my life and I don’t want to end that for something that I don’t 100 per cent love. You have to defend a film that you have done no matter what - professionally and personally. I’d like to speak about my next project with passion, but I just feel that it’s not going to happen. I have done 75 films and that makes me think that it’s OK not to do 76. If I do choose another movie, I’d like to walk on set and say, `Wow! I love being here’, instead of thinking, `Why am I giving up my life to be here on this bloody mountain in the middle of nowhere?’

"When you take on a part, it’s actually quite a beautiful process," says Cheung, who has earned a reputation for playing "heavy" roles. "Just to understand another woman … to imagine what it can be. I don’t live the parts but I analyse them until I really understand who they are and I try to imagine them physically.

"But now [that I’ve stopped] I am much lighter as a person. It’s amazing to be able to live as you wish. You are able to plan your day yourself and do whatever you want. Right now I don’t feel like being stuck or committed to anything full time. Even my relationship - it’s still part-time, as I travel and work."

Cheung’s wanderlust may have stemmed from her childhood desire to be an air stewardess, she jokes, and she still makes frequent trips to Paris, where she once shared a home with ex-husband and Clean director Olivier Assayas. More recently, though, she has been spending a significant amount of time at her home in Beijing, where she enjoys the anonymity.

"I feel so sad about what the Hong Kong press have become. Even though people [in Beijing] still recognise me, and do or don’t like me, the way they behave is purer. Hong Kong people have become more critical because of the media," which have been known to camp outside Cheung’s Repulse Bay home.

"It’s a bad education for the heart, the soul and what you want for others and what is important: the value of life. It’s f**ked up. The media are f**king Hong Kong up and I am angry about that.

"In Beijing I feel that with anyone I am in touch with, whether they know who I am or not, they are genuine and not judging me on how I look. I don’t always want to be alert and on my guard."

She may not feel charitable towards the Hong Kong media, but Cheung has begun working with Oil of Olay and Audi (she represents both brands in China) on projects aimed at educating mainland youths.

"China is growing so fast but if the education of the next generation is not up to it, it can backfire for the country," she says. "Now I can do something for society. I always wanted to but have been so busy up to now. I am not a great saint who is giving up all her time to charity; it’s something I am serious about and that I really want to do. Apart from the charity work, I’m still out there looking for fulfilling projects.

"I like to do things properly. What I have in my hands now makes me busy and I just don’t want to overload myself. I want to be happy and lighthearted."

On the creative front, Cheung is devoting time to music, her enthusiasm ignited by a brief stint on the microphone in Clean.

"It’s not that I want to become a singer, but I am working with … music. I walk into the studio and hang out, make up songs and write some lyrics. I do some tunes on the computer with my own programming. I’m in love with that side of it," she says.

"If I keep on doing it, it might become something big. Music took me away from cinema. I feel my disposition is more inclined towards music now than to acting. Some actors are addicted to acting but I don’t feel that way. But if I don’t do anything musical for a while, I miss it and I want to be back in the studio." And that "part-time" relationship? Having split up with Qeelin founder Guillaume Brochard, she is reportedly dating German architect Ole Scheeren (she neither confirms nor denies this).

"I am willing to go where love is. I didn’t know that before, that I was like that," she says. "But I realise that’s always been the case. I am a true romantic at heart and I think that is the most important thing. Love is what drives me.

"But having a family is something I don’t see. I don’t think I will manage to have kids. I might adopt. I love children but I don’t want to [give birth]. I decided [that] when I was watching the news during 9/11. When I saw those planes crash into the buildings I said to myself that I didn’t want to bring anyone into this suffering. That moment clarified it for me. And along the way, watching my friends have kids, I have just realised it’s not for me. It’s a lot of work, a lot of heart. I believe two people should just be together and be happy to enjoy each other."

With no family and, possibly, no films ahead, what does the future hold for Miss Photogenic 1983?

"I think I will probably continue having three or four homes in places I like, and travel from home to home. I may even consider settling down in England, as that’s the one place I feel most comfortable. That would be an ideal life for me, as long as I have the person I love with me - unless he takes me somewhere else that I love, that is."

Interview by Harilela