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Hong Kong

Jackie Chan: Hong Kong Has Too Much Freedom

SOUTHERN PEOPLE WEEKLY ( China), MING PAO (Hong Kong)

Worldcrunch

HONG KONG - Martial arts star, Jackie Chan, has kicked up a fuss this week when suggesting that Hong Kong authorities should crackdown on the nation's burgeoning protest movement.

Chan, who was born in Hong Kong, told China's Southern People Weekly: "Hong Kong has become a city of protest. People scold China's leaders, or anything else they like, and protest against everything.

"The authorities should stipulate what issues people can protest over and on what issues it is not allowed," he said.

He also commented on Britain's former colonial rule over Hong Kong, which ended in 1997: "Hong Kong in the British era was not so free. Did you hear so much gossipy news? Were there so many taking to the streets? No. Very well behaved. The British badly repressed us," he told the magazine.

In recent years, residents of Hong Kong have started to take to the streets to protest against China encroaching in Hong Kong affairs.

The movie star's political opinions immediately aroused public outrage in Hong Kong, with one human rights group leader, Wang Haoxian, describing his words as "shameful."

Hong Kong's daily Ming Pao ran an editorial Friday that read: "Jackie Chan the film star may have made it to Hollywood, but his ideology still remains firmly in the Qing Dynasty."

Netizens also expressed their outrage at his comments, posting online comments asking whether Jackie Chan had "water on the brain," or suggesting that "The Hong Kong government should publish legislation restricting Jackie Chan from speaking in public."

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Jackie Chan (George Blard)

It is not the first time the kung-fu star has caused controversy. Over the past few years, he has repeatedly made remarks on several occasions about Taiwan's democracy being "a big joke."

Accused of playing up to China, he was continuously expressed his views that Hong Kong and Taiwan have too much freedom, while promoting the reunification of Taiwan and China.

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food / travel

Pasta v. Fascists: How Italy's Staple Dish Became A Symbol Of Resistance

Pasta may not be considered controversial today, but it played an important role during Italy's fascist years, particularly in one family's celebration of community and liberation.

Photo of the Cervi family.

Photo of the Cervi family, whose seven children were shot by the Fascists on December 28, 1943, at the Reggio Emilia shooting range.

@comunisti_alla_ribalta via Instagram
Jacopo Fontaneto

ROME — Eighty years ago — on July 25, 1943 — the vote of no confidence by the Grand Council of Fascism, leading to Benito Mussolini's arrest, set off widespread celebrations. In Campegine, a small village in the Emilian province, the Cervi family celebrated in their own way: they brought 380 kilograms of pasta in milk cans to the town square and offered it to all the inhabitants of the village.

The pasta was strictly plain: macaroni dressed with butter and cheese, seen as more of a "festive dish" in that period of deprivation. As soon as the Cervi brothers learned about the arrest of Mussolini, they procured flour, borrowed butter and cheese from the dairy, and prepared kilos and kilos of pasta. They then loaded it onto a cart to distribute it to their fellow villagers. Pastasciutta (dry pasta) specifically regards dishes with noodles that are plated "dry", not in broth. That would disqualify soup, risotto, ravioli...

Even though pastasciutta is the most stereotypical type of pasta today, it had a complicated relationship with the government during Italy's fascist years.

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