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Cinnamon sticks are taken from the inner bark of the cinnamon tree. Photo: Shutterstock

Food & Drink

Why there’s more to cinnamon, the ‘Christmas spice’, than you may think

Cinnamon smells like Christmas, gives flavour to food without adding many calories, and may lower blood glucose and reduce inflammation.

Fire ravaged this US state park. Now it offers unique hikes

The Hong Kong films released in 2024, ranked from worst to best

Family & Relationships

‘Baby hatch’ boy, now grown up, teaches kids to love life

Koichi Miyatsu, whose mother died when he was a baby, runs an education programme in Japan based on his being raised by foster parents.

Koichi Miyatsu carries a pot as he prepares to transport meals from his home to a church as part of a monthly charity event for underprivileged children in Kumamoto, Japan, on March 11, 2022. Photo: AFP
Koichi Miyatsu carries a pot as he prepares to transport meals from his home to a church as part of a monthly charity event for underprivileged children in Kumamoto, Japan, on March 11, 2022. Photo: AFP

Food & Drink

For the love of cod, why bacalhau is Portugal’s classic Christmas fish

In cod they trust – for centuries Portuguese have eaten the preserved fish, and it is traditionally served during the holiday season.

Fashion & Beauty

Niche perfumes that cost more than US$400? It just makes scents

Niche perfumes are booming, especially among Chinese and Gen Z customers, and even more growth is predicted. Experts explain why.

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Arts & Culture

‘Right time, right place, right people’: Chow Yun-fat on his photography

Hong Kong actor talks about blending into a crowd to take street photographs, his inspiration, and his new show at Harbour City.

For actor Chow Yun-fat, photography has become a passion. Photo: Harbour City
For actor Chow Yun-fat, photography has become a passion. Photo: Harbour City

Health & Wellness

5 new OCD research findings that could drive better treatment

The holidays can exacerbate symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder but new research into its causes is leading to greater understanding.

K-drama

Squid Game 2 star on its ‘genius’ writer and ‘living with Gi-hun’

As the Netflix K-drama hit returns for a second season, cast and crew including Lee Jung-jae reflect on show’s impact globally – and on them.

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Fashion & Beauty

Are second-hand gifts the new trend? UK charity shops do a brisk trade

This Christmas, a time of year often criticised for promoting consumerism, more Britons than ever before are buying ‘preloved’ gifts.

A customer browses second-hand items inside an Oxfam charity shop in London. This Christmas, more people than ever are buying “preloved” gifts from charity shops and online second-hand retailers. Photo: AFP

Travel & Leisure

Dreaming of a white Christmas? Global warming is making it less likely

An analysis of winter temperatures showing fewer freezing days spells bad news for fans of snow at Christmas. Europe is warming the quickest.

Melted snowmen may become an increasingly common sight in the northern hemisphere, particulary Europe, as climate change caused by burning fossil fuels leads to warmer winters with fewer days at or below freezing. Photo: Shutterstock
Melted snowmen may become an increasingly common sight in the northern hemisphere, particulary Europe, as climate change caused by burning fossil fuels leads to warmer winters with fewer days at or below freezing. Photo: Shutterstock

K-drama

Lee Min-ho makes return to TV in Netflix space romcom When the Stars Gossip

The new series, set aboard a space station, boasts a production budget of US$34.5 million and aims to set a new standard for K-dramas.

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K-drama

The 15 best K-dramas of 2024 ranked, from Queen of Tears to Squid Game 2

From a vigilante thriller to a period political drama, and Korea’s most awaited sequel, here is our pick of the top 15 K-dramas of 2024.

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Family & Relationships

Nearly two-thirds of Korean women OK with being childless, survey finds

South Korea has world’s lowest fertility rate, and 65 per cent of women and 41 per cent of men say they could accept a life without children.

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Commuters in South Korea, where more than 40 per cent of men and more than 65 per cent of women surveyed would be OK with not having children. The country has the world’s lowest fertility rate. Photo: Yonhap/dpa

Family & Relationships

The volunteers for whom fixing old toys to give away is like therapy

Dozens of volunteers in Venezuela fix discarded toys for distribution to hospitals and schools in poor areas, and old people’s homes.

Volunteers discuss the best way to restore a doll at the Hospital for Soft Toys in Venezuela, which fixes old toys to distribute to hospitals, schools in poor areas, and lonely old people in the economically strained country. Photo: AP
Volunteers discuss the best way to restore a doll at the Hospital for Soft Toys in Venezuela, which fixes old toys to distribute to hospitals, schools in poor areas, and lonely old people in the economically strained country. Photo: AP

Entertainment

3 of John Woo’s lesser known action films, one so violent it was shelved

A triad movie with a young Stephen Chow, a crude war film and a crime caper starring Leslie Cheung. These 3 Woo projects fly under the radar.

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Health & Wellness

Year of the Snake retreat in Hong Kong to feature snake-themed exercises

The day-long fitness retreat taking place on Lamma Island before Lunar New Year will include strength-building, yoga and Muay Thai classes.

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Health & Wellness

Surge in colon cancer in young people reflects global lifestyle changes

Colon cancer rates are falling among older people, but rising among young people because of sedentary lifestyles and processed-food diets.

Snack foods tend to be in high in salt, sugar, and fat. Photo: Shutterstock
Snack foods tend to be in high in salt, sugar, and fat. Photo: Shutterstock

Arts & Culture

Why the coming Year of the Wood Snake could be lucky

With 12 animals and 5 elements, the Year of the Wood Snake comes around every 60 years, and 2025’s may be more favourable than 1965’s.

Entertainment

The Ip Man movies without Donnie Yen, including a Wong Kar-wai version

The Ip Man story has been explored in multiple films, from Wong Kar-wai’s The Grandmaster starring Tony Leung to one featuring Anthony Wong.

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Entertainment

The 12 best Asian films of 2024, including The Last Dance

From a Thai tear-jerker to a Korean cross-dressing romcom and a hand-drawn Japanese anime, our pick of the best Asian films of the past year.

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Michael Hui in a still from The Last Dance.
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HIGHLIGHTS FROM
Chunling Fong, director of Farmhouse Production in Hong Kong. Photo: Alexander Mak

Can this new wave of Hong Kong farmers bring agriculture back to the city?

Netflix docu Kiss The Ground argues that sustainable regenerative farming practices are a potential solution to our climate crisis – meet the Hong Kong food producers getting down to earth.

Reading Time:6 minutes
The British surrender Hong Kong to the Japanese on Christmas Day in 1941. Photo: SCMP

Hong Kong’s darkest December brought a season without peace or goodwill

Reading Time:3 minutes
Plaques that form part of the Benin Bronzes, which were taken from Africa by British troops in 1897, on display at The British Museum in London. Photo: Getty Images

Should museums return antiquities to their countries of origin? Some say no

Reading Time:11 minutes
The inaugural ceremony of the Tian Tan Buddha statue rising before the Po Lin Temple on Lantau Island, Hong Kong, in 1993. Photo: SCMP Archives

The rocky path to enlightenment: the building of Hong Kong’s Big Buddha

Reading Time:2 minutes
St Vincent at Clockenflap at Central Harbourfront, Hong Kong, in November. Photo: Clockenflap

Our favourite PostMag music stories of 2024, from Herbie Hancock to St Vincent

Reading Time:1 minute
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MULTIMEDIA
Video

Woman-owned cafe defies norms in Indonesia

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How this Hong Kong-born orchestra conductor defies stereotypes

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‘Dangerous dinner’ at a deserted Hong Kong villa

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The hidden seafood capital of Japan

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