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5050
The latest news, analysis and opinion on 5050. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
last updated:
9 September, 2024
MindMics’s headphones were able to capture, in clinical trials, a murmur in a patient with aortic stenosis, said the company’s CEO and president Anna Barnacka. Photo: MindMics
Wellness

New health tech wearables at CES measure blood sugar, capture heart murmurs

MindMics’ earbuds and DexCom’s Stelo patches stand out at CES 2025, while an expert calls the approval process for such devices ‘pathetic’.

Wellness

Explainer | What are functional foods and should you be having them?

Wellness

Coffee drinkers less at risk of head and neck cancers, new study finds

Italy

Pope Francis names Italian sister as first woman to lead major Vatican office

The appointment signals significant advancement in women’s leadership within the Catholic Church.

Pope Francis, for the first time, nameD a woman as prefect of a Vatican dicastery -- Consolata Missionary Sister Simona Brambilla. Photo: Catholic News Service
Hong Kong society

Opinion | Hongkongers deserve credit for getting through a tough 2024

If John Lee had hoped to rally people to rise to the challenge of 2025 in his New Year’s address, he should have learned from Xi Jinping’s focus on people.

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China economy

Opinion | Why Trump’s return opens door for China to reform capital markets

If Beijing seizes this chance, it could transform a familiar cycle of confrontation into a foundation for long-term security and leadership.

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Hong Kong housing

Opinion | How government plans to improve lot of Hongkongers in poor housing playing

The government is determined to address the needs of Hongkongers living in substandard housing and help them improve their lives.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
TV shows and streaming video

As women hit milestone in Japan’s legal system, drama tells 1 pioneer’s story

Tora ni Tsubasa is based on the true story of Yoshiko Mibuchi, one of Japan’s first women lawyers, who became a judge after World War II.

Hong Kong property

No immediate relief in sight for Hong Kong’s distressed office landlords

The prices of prime office space in the city’s main business zones declined by more than 46 per cent since October 2018.

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Pets

Do dogs need coats in winter? Experts on different breeds’ needs

Dogs like Border collies and Labradors have woolly undercoats but short-haired pets originally from warmer climes may need extra warmth.

For canine breeds that originally came from warmer climes, such as the Rhodesian ridgeback with its short hair, a coat can make sense when the winter cold sets in, animal welfare experts say. Photo: Shutterstock
Wellness

The celebrities driving traditional Chinese medicine’s boom in the West

Stars from Ariana Grande to Tom Brady are helping traditional Chinese medicine treatments like cupping and acupuncture soar in popularity.

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Ex-One Direction band member Zayn Malik praises Nin Jiom Pei Pa Koa, a Chinese herbal syrup, as an “elixir” for his voice in an interview with British Vogue in June 2024. Photo: SCMP composite/YouTube (@British Vogue)/Ninjiom.com
What to do in Hong Kong

AIA Carnival super fans, including one who moved house to fit all her prizes

Running from December 20, 2024 to February 16, 2025, the much-loved event featuring rides, games, even a circus attracts dedicated visitors.

Tourism

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

A trek through California’s Big Basin Redwoods State Park reveals towering charred trees whose branches are greening again with life.

Education

‘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
Hong Kong culture

Opinion | Hong Kong’s new culture push will fail without fixing old problems

Expectations are high. Addressing the lack of appropriately sized venues is essential to realising city’s hopes of becoming an arts and culture hub.

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Exterior of the East Kowloon Cultural Centre in Kowloon Bay on October 12. Photo: Edmond So
Art

Chinese-American artist Walasse Ting’s vibrant, flamboyant paintings

A new Hong Kong exhibition shows how Ting’s artistic tendencies evolved and how he married both Chinese and Western influences in his works.

Music

How Gen Z, Tinder and Spotify are disrupting clubbing capital’s rhythm

Berlin’s nightlife scene is under threat, with the number of clubs dropping by almost half in 10 years and many more considering closing.

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China food security

Opinion | China’s ‘Food Silk Road’ holds key to thwarting Trump tariffs

Policymakers in Beijing have taken steps to address supply chain vulnerabilities and the weaponisation of imported food supplies.

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A farmer operates a combine during soybean harvesting on the Voss farm near Palo, Iowa, on October 2. Photo: AP
China economy

Opinion | How China can achieve its next wave of economic growth

Beijing needs to eliminate the legacies of the restrictive planned economy, allowing a more market-driven allocation of land, money and labour.

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Art

Contemporary art’s biggest selfie takers face off at Hong Kong’s M+

The American and Japanese artists known for masquerading as women from movies to critique society have their works up for comparison at M+.

Hong Kong property

More Hong Kong shops to close, as retail shifts online

Local beauty brand JaneClare is an example of a firm that is making money online, but still values real-world spaces.

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Interior view of JaneClare’s flagship store in Tsim Sha Tsui. Photo: Sun Yeung
K-pop, Mandopop, other Asian pop

What impact will K-pop have on humanity and music? A professor ponders

An Oxford University professor is teaming with a pioneering K-pop songwriter to look into the enduring effects of the Korean music genre.

Fans of K-pop megastars BTS attend the BTS 10th Anniversary FESTA @ Yeouido in Seoul, South Korea, on June 17, 2023, to mark the 10th anniversary of the group’s debut. Photo: AFP
Wellness

Explainer | Why ‘growing snakes’ – shingles – is so painful and how to prevent it

Shingles causes a rash that can feel like ‘being burned and electrocuted’ at the same time. We look at its symptoms, treatment and vaccine.

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Books and literature

China’s ‘most famous woman’ on a career spent introducing it to the world

Her TV shows gave US viewers tastes of Asia and brought the world to Chinese homes. Yue-Sai Kan talks bridging the gap between East and West.

Food and Drinks

Women-only cafe in Germany a ‘place of retreat’, says teenage owner

18-year-old Sumeja Zumberi’s cafe Baresha offers women in Bremen, many from countries where sexes meet separately, a rare space of their own.

Sumeja Zumberi, the 18-year-old owner of Baresha, has received praise for her women-only cafe from customers who enjoy feeling “undisturbed” there. Photo: dpa/picture alliance via Getty Images
China society

Opinion | Novelist Chiung Yao’s death rekindles discussion on euthanasia in China

The popular author’s passing has sparked debate on a matter weighed down with stigma despite years in the public consciousness.

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Taiwanese romance novelist Chiung Yao, who died at the age of 86. Photo: Weibo/@会火
Food and Drinks

What is Pei Pa Koa and why is Ariana Grande adding it to her ‘vocal box’?

The Chinese cough syrup, loved by singers like Cynthia Erivo and Jonathan Bailey, is also finding its way into cocktails around the world.

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Hong Kong politics

Opinion | Minister reshuffle shows Hong Kong’s leader knows time is of the essence

The move should not be a surprise given the hints dropped and the clear need for the pace of change to accelerate.

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