https://www.scmp.com/rss/12423/feed John Carney joined the Post in 2005 as a sports sub-editor, and has since held roles in the news and features departments. He also worked for two years as a senior reporter for the Daily Mail Australia in Sydney. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Intermittent fasting is a health and fitness trend embraced by celebrities such as Jennifer Aniston, Kourtney Kardashian, Scarlett Johansson and Halle Berry, who claim it has helped them shed unwanted weight. This practice involves entirely or partially abstaining from eating for a set amount of time, before eating regularly again. Many questionable fad diets involve fasting, but proponents of intermittent fasting view it as a healthier alternative to regular dieting. The most popular... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3167258/9-intermittent-fasting-mistakes-avoid-dont-eat-too-little?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3167258/9-intermittent-fasting-mistakes-avoid-dont-eat-too-little?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Feb 2022 09:15:18 +0000 Gone are the days when a quick jump in the shower followed by a brief spray of deodorant was all guys needed before heading out of the house. Male grooming has taken off in recent years, with products for men cropping up on shelves and online. Manscaped has taken this a step further. The men’s grooming start-up backed by Hollywood actor Channing Tatum is all about tidying up your nether regions, and announced in November 2021 it was going public by merging with blank-cheque firm Bright Lights... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3165845/channing-tatum-backed-start-reflects-rise-manscaping-why?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3165845/channing-tatum-backed-start-reflects-rise-manscaping-why?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 06 Feb 2022 23:15:18 +0000 Do you want to stay young and healthy even if it means drinking a fermented tea that tastes like sweet-and-sour vinegar? Then kombucha is for you. Celebrities including Lady Gaga, Zoe Kravitz, Kourtney Kardashian, Gwyneth Paltrow and Halle Berry have been obsessed with the probiotic-packed fermented drink in recent years. Kombucha is produced by combining sweetened tea with “Scoby” – an acronym for symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast – and leaving it to ferment for 10 to 40 days, depending on... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3164029/kombucha-and-health-benefits-tea-drink-loved-lady-gaga?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3164029/kombucha-and-health-benefits-tea-drink-loved-lady-gaga?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 22 Jan 2022 07:15:19 +0000 When Denmark midfielder Christian Eriksen suffered a cardiac arrest while playing for his country in soccer’s European Championship last year, it provided one of 2021’s most shocking images. Only the swift intervention of his team’s captain, Simon Kjaer, and the medical staff saved Eriksen’s life after his collapse during Denmark’s match against Finland in what was an ordeal for all those who witnessed it. Kjaer cleared his teammate’s airways and start life-saving cardiopulmonary resuscitation... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3162546/someones-having-heart-attack-do-you-know-how-give-cpr-or?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3162546/someones-having-heart-attack-do-you-know-how-give-cpr-or?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Jan 2022 10:15:23 +0000 Sustainability, climate awareness, solo travel, and health and wellness are set to be some of the biggest travel trends in 2022, according to one of the world’s most renowned hospitality management schools. The École Hôtelière de Lausanne (EHL) is a Swiss school that opened a campus in Singapore in September and runs a master of science in global hospitality management course in partnership with Hong Kong’s Polytechnic University. It has looked into its crystal ball to see what next year will... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3159925/travel-trends-2022-why-solo-sustainable-ethical-wellness?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3159925/travel-trends-2022-why-solo-sustainable-ethical-wellness?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Dec 2021 23:15:23 +0000 When you think of the perfect Christmas gift, something based on a bloody gore fest that makes you question your own morality may not immediately spring to mind, but then Squid Game was no normal TV series. The dystopian survival K-drama centres on a mysterious organisation that challenges 456 players from all walks of life – each deeply in debt – to play a series of children’s games. Win and they go home rich. Lose and they die. Doesn’t really give you a warm Christmassy feeling does it? But... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3159506/best-squid-game-christmas-gifts-fan-your-life-doll-alarm?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3159506/best-squid-game-christmas-gifts-fan-your-life-doll-alarm?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Dec 2021 20:15:15 +0000 Bruce Lee would have celebrated his 81st birthday on November 27, and since his untimely death in 1973 at the age of 32, speculation as to how he died has spawned numerous conspiracy theories. These rumours took a darker turn in July this year when more than 40 letters were unearthed that implied the martial arts legend was a secret drug user. British tabloids The Sun and Daily Mirror reported that the handwritten letters to Hollywood actor and Fist of Fury co-star Robert “Bob” Baker suggest he... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3158261/what-killed-bruce-lee-drug-rumours-add-mystery-surrounding?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3158261/what-killed-bruce-lee-drug-rumours-add-mystery-surrounding?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Dec 2021 10:15:09 +0000 When a popular character dies in a soap opera, it often causes a stir with its audience, but in the case of the Chinese streaming series Marvelous Women, it was the demise of a cat that upset viewers, in part because they were not convinced the feline survived the ordeal. The offending scene aired in late November and showed a character’s pet cat accidentally eating poisoned food before falling off a table and dying on the floor. Blood spilled from the cat’s mouth and its leg began twitching at... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3157990/death-scene-cat-forces-chinese-period-drama?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3157990/death-scene-cat-forces-chinese-period-drama?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Dec 2021 03:00:26 +0000 As Japan’s ex-princess Mako shows us, mental illness can strike anyone, no matter how rich or famous. Mako married her commoner boyfriend Kei Komuro on October 26, not before the palace announced that she had been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), hoping to halt the frenzied media coverage of the couple’s complex relationship. The media interest involved a long-running controversy over an outstanding 4 million yen (US$36,000) loan to Komuro’s mother from her former fiancé,... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3157721/what-ptsd-experts-symptoms-treatment-and-causes-japans-ex?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3157721/what-ptsd-experts-symptoms-treatment-and-causes-japans-ex?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Nov 2021 08:15:12 +0000 Singing sensation Adele released her album 30 on November 19, her first in six years, winning over critics and fans alike. In it, she tackles her divorce and discusses motherhood – and the ever present scrutiny of fame. As well as praise for the British singer’s fourth studio album, the media coverage about it has raised questions about her recent wellness journey, and put the Sirtfood diet in the spotlight. Was this what helped the singer shed 45kg (100lb), as many reports suggested? The... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3157067/did-adele-lose-weight-doing-sirtfood-diet-and-does-it?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3157067/did-adele-lose-weight-doing-sirtfood-diet-and-does-it?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Nov 2021 20:15:11 +0000 A unique behind-the-scenes look at the life of Anthony Bourdain reveals that it was while filming an episode of his Parts Unknown TV series in Hong Kong that his life seemed to begin to unravel. The American celebrity chef and television personality took his own life in his hotel room, aged 61, while he was filming an episode of his Emmy-winning CNN food and travel series near Strasbourg, in France, in June 2018. In Bourdain: The Definitive Oral Biography, family, friends and colleagues describe... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3156465/did-anthony-bourdains-parts-unknown-episode-hong-kong-which?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3156465/did-anthony-bourdains-parts-unknown-episode-hong-kong-which?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Nov 2021 10:15:13 +0000 There is a saying that a man has two lives, and the second one starts when he realises he only has one. This is particularly appropriate for men dealing with prostate cancer. With the month-long Movember campaign under way, couples who battled prostate cancer together dressed in colourful traditional wedding robes and gathered at the Hong Kong Cancer Fund’s (HKCF) North Point office to celebrate their love for each other. Two prostate cancer survivors described how the illness affected their... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3156238/movember-2021-prostate-cancer-survivors-overcoming?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3156238/movember-2021-prostate-cancer-survivors-overcoming?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Nov 2021 04:45:22 +0000 John Carney John Carney It is not the first, but a hotel in the Swiss Alps has just become arguably the most luxurious at which guests may use digital currencies to pay for their stay. Despite the volatility cryptocurrency markets have become known for, the five-star Chedi Andermatt, which now accepts both bitcoin and ethereum, sees value in appealing to a new breed of wealthy tourist. “As the digital age continues to grow and cryptocurrency rises in demand, we wanted to embrace these advances and integrate them into... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3149745/five-star-hotel-accepts-bitcoin-and-ethereum-bid-woo?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3149745/five-star-hotel-accepts-bitcoin-and-ethereum-bid-woo?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Sep 2021 12:45:18 +0000 Kind-hearted may not be the first word that springs to mind when you think of a banker, but Carmel Armstrong proves the exception. After working for HSBC in Asia for 36 years, Armstrong decided to retire and volunteer for local Hong Kong charities. Through this work, she met Jeff Rotmeyer – and her life suddenly changed. After he had seen one too many young adults with Down’s syndrome die early, Rotmeyer set up the Love 21 Foundation in the city in 2017. Its mission is to extend the lives of... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3149813/retired-hsbc-banker-embraces-role-helping-teens-downs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3149813/retired-hsbc-banker-embraces-role-helping-teens-downs?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Sep 2021 10:15:22 +0000 Is time running out for Swiss watch sellers in Hong Kong? Despite leading the market for more than a decade, according to the Sell-Out Index, which measures the aggregated sales performance of the watch and jewellery industry in selected markets every month, in Hong Kong the value of retail sales of watches and jewellery in the first half of 2021 totalled US$2.5 billion, whereas it was US$5.7 billion during the same period in 2018. Previously, the city – a tax-free shopping haven for mainland... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3149635/hong-kong-luxury-swiss-watch-sales-face-uncertain-future?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3149635/hong-kong-luxury-swiss-watch-sales-face-uncertain-future?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Sep 2021 23:15:23 +0000 Canto-pop boy band Mirror have captured the hearts of millions of Hongkongers, and brands have been flocking to them to use their fame and popularity in marketing campaigns. To say the band seem to be endorsing anything and everything is not an understatement; unlike other Canto-pop and K-pop stars who have exclusive deals with brands, Mirror seem to be always open for business. Since the 12-member ensemble rose to fame through ViuTV’s reality talent show Good Night Show – King Maker three years... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3146981/samsung-mcdonalds-louis-vuitton-are-boy-band-mirror?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3146981/samsung-mcdonalds-louis-vuitton-are-boy-band-mirror?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Sep 2021 23:15:09 +0000 When Elvis impersonator Melvis died of kidney failure on December 29 last year, a poignant piece of Hong Kong folklore died with him. For almost three decades, Kwok Lam-sang, better known as Melvis, could be seen in Hong Kong’s biggest nightspots, where he’d play for tips dressed as his hero and singing his songs. Many were affected by his death at the age of 68. Independent film producer Jonathan Duncan is hoping to keep the legendary performer’s spirit alive through a documentary, The... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3135731/man-behind-melvis-persona-late-hong-kong-elvis-impersonator?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3135731/man-behind-melvis-persona-late-hong-kong-elvis-impersonator?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 03 Jun 2021 23:15:12 +0000 A memorial gravestone has been erected at the Happy Valley Cemetery in Hong Kong for the Northern Irish mother-in-law of the Philippines’ national hero Jose Rizal, 145 years after she was laid to rest there in an unmarked grave. An official ceremony took place for the restored gravesite of Elizabeth Jane McBride Bracken, a native of Ballycarry, County Antrim in Northern Ireland, who was the mother of Josephine Bracken, the wife of Dr Rizal. Elizabeth was buried in the cemetery, formerly known as... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/3135232/irish-mother-law-philippines-national-hero-jose-rizal-gets-memorial?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/3135232/irish-mother-law-philippines-national-hero-jose-rizal-gets-memorial?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 30 May 2021 01:15:13 +0000 “So that’s the colour of adrenaline,” I concluded after my third trip to the urinal in an hour. “Maybe I should use that line in my routine?” These are the thoughts that were running through my mind shortly before my stand-up comedy debut. At such moments, all that matters is being funny. And not pissing yourself. And being funny on a stage. And not pissing yourself on stage. For an unbroken stream of several minutes. In front of an actual audience. Far from years of honing this sacred... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/long-reads/article/3111291/funny-business-why-hong-kongs-stand-comedy-scene?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/long-reads/article/3111291/funny-business-why-hong-kongs-stand-comedy-scene?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Nov 2020 06:45:11 +0000 When Hazel Chu Chung-fai’s mother spent her hours after school as a teenager selling flowers at a market in Hong Kong’s rural New Territories during the early 1970s, little did she know that years later her daughter would become the first chief public official of Chinese heritage in Ireland’s capital city. In June this year, Green Party councillor Chu was elected the 352nd Lord Mayor of Dublin. She became the first ethnically Chinese person to hold political office in Ireland and the first to be... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/3095902/dublins-first-ethnic-chinese-mayor-racism-her-parents-work-ethic-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/3095902/dublins-first-ethnic-chinese-mayor-racism-her-parents-work-ethic-and?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 04 Aug 2020 20:30:10 +0000 Neil Drummond stands at the door of Coyote Bar & Grill in Wan Chai and peers into the street. Tonight, he’s as likely to see tumbleweed pass by as a prospective customer. This is the reality for Hong Kong’s historic bar strip on Lockhart Road – which started life as a red-light district in the 1950s – after the double blow of the year-long anti-government protests and the more recent Covid-19 epidemic. In Wan Chai and Hong Kong’s other traditional nightlife hub, Lan Kwai Fong, the past 12 months... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3090043/hong-kong-nightlife-districts-wan-chai-and-lan-kwai-fong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3090043/hong-kong-nightlife-districts-wan-chai-and-lan-kwai-fong?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 Jun 2020 09:30:11 +0000 Elvis Presley might have died more than 40 years ago, but his spirit lives on in Hong Kong. For nearly three decades, Melvis Kwok, a full-time Elvis impersonator, has been swiveling his hips in the city’s biggest night spots, where he plays for tips dressed as the King of Rock and Roll, with pompadour and all. Despite his age—he is 67 this year—Kwok says he still performs seven nights a week. He usually spends two hours in the city’s party districts of Lan Kwai Fong, Soho, and Wan Chai before... https://www.scmp.com/culture/hong-kong-elvis-presley-impersonator/article/3083240?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/culture/hong-kong-elvis-presley-impersonator/article/3083240?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 May 2020 12:01:24 +0000 “Hello. This is Elvis.” An introduction like that when you answer your phone could leave you all shook up. However, far from being a voice from beyond the grave, it is that of a man very much alive – 67-year-old Kwok Lam-sang, better known as Melvis. Kwok has been swivelling his hips for almost three decades in Hong Kong’s biggest nightspots, where he plays for tips dressed as his hero and warbling his songs. Age is no barrier to Kwok, and he can still be seen performing seven nights a week. He... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3073847/hong-kong-elvis-impersonator-melvis-talks-about-his-28?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3073847/hong-kong-elvis-impersonator-melvis-talks-about-his-28?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Mar 2020 23:15:15 +0000 When it comes to buying a flat, Hongkongers have a tough time finding a place of their own in “the world’s least affordable housing market”. The city received that dubious accolade for the ninth year in a row in this year’s Demographia International Housing Affordability Survey, released in January. So which neighbourhoods in the city should new buyers be looking at if they want a “bargain”? Data from online property listings firm Spacious may have some answers. The start-up’s research, based on... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/3005328/hong-kong-property-market-bargains-where-prices-have-fallen-most-last-six?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/3005328/hong-kong-property-market-bargains-where-prices-have-fallen-most-last-six?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 Apr 2019 23:45:13 +0000 It has only been just over a week since Clockenflap finished, but Hong Kong music fans don’t have to wait long for their next big concert fix as rockers Guns N’ Roses perform in the city tomorrow and Wednesday night. Formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1985, the band backboned by singer Axl Rose and lead guitarist Slash are one of the most influential rock acts in the world, with their legendary songs matched by the band’s amazing live performances. Top 10 most-watched pre-2000 music videos on... https://www.scmp.com/culture/music/article/2173899/five-best-guns-n-roses-songs-80s-revisited?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/culture/music/article/2173899/five-best-guns-n-roses-songs-80s-revisited?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Nov 2018 13:05:54 +0000 Today millions of Indians will be celebrating the festival of Diwali, the Indian New Year, and Hong Kong will be no different. Derived from the Sanskrit word Deepawali, meaning row of lamps, the “Festival of Lights” is observed in the autumn, and will be celebrated in India nationwide. Far from their families, Indians in Hong Kong make Diwali special Over time, Diwali has become a national festival for most Indians, regardless of faith, with Jains, Buddhists and Sikhs also celebrating.... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/2172073/seven-facts-about-diwali-and-how-indias-festival-light?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/2172073/seven-facts-about-diwali-and-how-indias-festival-light?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Nov 2018 05:28:50 +0000 Monday was a bad day for the world’s wildlife. China announced it will allow scientific and medical uses of tiger bone and rhinoceros horn, reversing a 25-year ban on the practice, and trade in the items, while a new report detailed how mass consumption has decimated animal life in recent decades. “Under special circumstances, trading or using of tiger bone, rhino horn or any products containing them should apply for permission,” China’s cabinet, the State Council, said. Conservationists sounded... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/2170899/will-china-ending-ban-tiger-bone-rhino-horn-worsen-humans-decimation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/2170899/will-china-ending-ban-tiger-bone-rhino-horn-worsen-humans-decimation?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Oct 2018 10:19:47 +0000 As if he has not entertained soccer fans enough on the pitch, now Barcelona and Argentina star Lionel Messi will be the subject of a new Cirque du Soleil show next year that focuses on the superstar’s stellar career. Agence France-Presse reports that the five-time world player of the year confirmed the new development and was humbled by the offer. ‘If he wants to lie down he should sleep’: Neymar draws criticism for dramatics “I am proud to announce the creation of a new Cirque du Soleil show in... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/2168295/seven-footballers-who-took-shot-entertainment-field-varying?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/2168295/seven-footballers-who-took-shot-entertainment-field-varying?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Oct 2018 07:45:15 +0000 Typhoon Kompasu moved on to southern China and Vietnam after buffeting Hong Kong on October 13, injuring 20 people and causing one death. The Hong Kong Observatory lowered the No 8 typhoon signal in late afternoon after more than 23 hours, having raised it for the second time in four days on Tuesday. The storm came hot on the heels of Typhoon Lionrock, which brought torrential rain and triggered what was then the longest No 8 typhoon signal since 1978 - a mark Kompasu promptly broke. The... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/2163934/why-typhoons-are-given-names-and-how-pedestrian-some-names-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/2163934/why-typhoons-are-given-names-and-how-pedestrian-some-names-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Sep 2018 23:45:45 +0000 New research from the World Health Organisation (WHO) could have many people cancelling their Netflix subscription. The United Nations body reported that around 1.4 billion adults are not physically active enough, and their inactivity is damaging their physical and mental health. People in wealthy countries are the worst offenders, with the research showing one in three women and one in four men not taking enough exercise or moving about enough – too often sitting at desks all day at work, in... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/2162920/no-time-exercise-theres-no-excuse-these-five-workouts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/2162920/no-time-exercise-theres-no-excuse-these-five-workouts?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Sep 2018 10:18:47 +0000 A scary YouTube ad had viewers so terrified this week that it had to be taken down because it breached the video-sharing website’s advertising policy. Local YouTubers on how to become a star before FanFest Hong Kong The piece begins with a volume sign, its familiar white bar dancing left then right before finally switching to mute. For one second, there is only the mute sign against a black background. And then, abruptly, a grisly, zombie-like face in a nun’s habit leaps at the viewer,... https://www.scmp.com/culture/arts-entertainment/article/2159844/after-youtubes-terrifying-film-ad-backlash-five-other?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/culture/arts-entertainment/article/2159844/after-youtubes-terrifying-film-ad-backlash-five-other?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Aug 2018 10:32:31 +0000 The CrossFit Games 2018 began on Tuesday at the Alliant Energy Centre in Madison, in the American state of Wisconsin, ahead of a gruelling opening day of individual heats that Games director Dave Castro described as the competition’s “hardest in history”. Competitors were left speechless when they were informed of the first of five days of individual events on the schedule of the Games, which is traditionally kept secret by organisers CrossFit HQ until shortly before they begin. Marathon row to... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/2157752/crossfit-games-2018-sounds-extreme-fitness-regime-has?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/2157752/crossfit-games-2018-sounds-extreme-fitness-regime-has?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Aug 2018 04:54:24 +0000 In the perennial battle between Hong Kong and Singapore as to which city is the best, the Lion City just got trounced 6-0 going by the Michelin Guide’s latest ratings. On Wednesday evening, when the 2018 Michelin Guide Singapore was unveiled, Singapore’s restaurant industry was shocked to find no establishment had earned a three-star ranking this year. In contrast, six Hong Kong restaurants were awarded three Michelin stars in the 2018 Michelin Guide Hong Kong & Macau. For Singapore’s... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/2156941/singapore-0-hong-kong-6-three-michelin-star-restaurants-league?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/2156941/singapore-0-hong-kong-6-three-michelin-star-restaurants-league?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Jul 2018 05:16:13 +0000 One of the city’s annual literary highlights, the Hong Kong Book Fair, hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons over the weekend when the latest work by Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami was banned from the event after being deemed “indecent” by the Obscene Articles Tribunal. The novel, titled Kishidancho Goroshi, or Killing Commendatore, was temporarily classified as “Class II – indecent materials,” according to a notice issued by the tribunal last week. The classification means the book had... https://www.scmp.com/culture/arts-entertainment/article/2156472/after-haruki-murakami-novel-was-banned-book-fair-here-are?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/culture/arts-entertainment/article/2156472/after-haruki-murakami-novel-was-banned-book-fair-here-are?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Jul 2018 09:31:22 +0000 The Chinese film industry suffered a major blow this week when producers of the epic Asura pulled the film from screens after a disastrous opening weekend at the box office. It is China’s most expensive movie, with a production budget of 750 million yuan (US$112 million), but reportedly only made 49 million yuan (US$7.3 million) in ticket sales during its opening weekend. In addition to featuring Hong Kong movie stars Carina Lau Ka-ling and Tony Leung Ka-fai, 19-year-old Wu Lei, China’s... https://www.scmp.com/culture/film-tv/article/2155578/chinese-film-flop-has-nothing-john-carter-or-47-ronin-and-lets-not?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/culture/film-tv/article/2155578/chinese-film-flop-has-nothing-john-carter-or-47-ronin-and-lets-not?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Jul 2018 05:00:00 +0000 At a time when it seems that only negative stories dominate the news, it was heart-rending to learn this week that 12 boys and their soccer coach who had been trapped in a flooded cave in Thailand for nine days had miraculously been found alive. On Monday, after a painstaking search by specialist divers, the emaciated group were discovered on a mud embankment, and the incredible moment when divers made contact with them was captured on a video released by Thai Navy SEALs. There had been no... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/2153585/nine-rescues-give-hope-boys-trapped-thailand-cave-and-prove-miracles-do?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/2153585/nine-rescues-give-hope-boys-trapped-thailand-cave-and-prove-miracles-do?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Jul 2018 08:47:43 +0000 Being in the public eye brings its own deadly dangers, and it was proved again this week with the killing of rapper XXXTentacion, one of many musicians and pop stars to have been gunned down in their prime. The troubled 20-year-old rapper, whose grim, often suicidal rhymes propelled him to the top of the US chart just months ago, was killed on Monday in the American state of Florida, possibly in a robbery, authorities said. The BMW Tupac was shot in could be yours for US$1.5... https://www.scmp.com/culture/music/article/2151613/after-xxxtentacions-murder-five-other-singers-shot-dead-their-prime?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/culture/music/article/2151613/after-xxxtentacions-murder-five-other-singers-shot-dead-their-prime?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 Jun 2018 10:49:08 +0000 Having any surgical procedure is no laughing matter, but when the doctor involved isn’t up to scratch it can only end in tears. This was the case for Icilma Cornelius who was weeks away from her wedding in 2016 when she visited cosmetic surgeon Windell Davis Boutte’s practice in Atlanta, Georgia in the US, to have some minor surgery done. But due to alleged malpractice during the surgery Cornelius suffered “a severe and debilitating catastrophic brain injury,” and today relies on a feeding tube... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/2149698/five-medical-blunders-bad-rapping-dancing-surgeon?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/2149698/five-medical-blunders-bad-rapping-dancing-surgeon?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 Jun 2018 07:32:14 +0000 For a place that is known for how much it reveres money, Hong Kong has a lot of gullible people. They have been duped in all manner of financial scams over the years. The latest case emerged this week: a 56-year-old woman living in public housing who has become the biggest victim yet of an online love scam in Hong Kong, losing HK$26.4 million (US$3.4 million) in just 18 months. A look at 5 powerful leaders’ wives and their obscene shopping habits The fraudster, who posed as a financial analyst... https://www.scmp.com/culture/article/2148637/seven-classic-hong-kong-scams-fake-china-crime-probes-romance-cons?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/culture/article/2148637/seven-classic-hong-kong-scams-fake-china-crime-probes-romance-cons?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 31 May 2018 08:00:00 +0000 Asian child rapper Lil Tay  is the latest internet sensation to hit social media and whether you believe the nine-year-old is behind the foul-mouthed lyrics she raps, her videos are viewed by millions. Regularly seen flashing wads of US$100 bills, railing against “f***ing broke-ass n*****s”, and making ludicrous boasts about buying Lamborghinis, she has a following of more than 1.6 million on Instagram. But the truth is, she’s just the latest kid off the child star production line. Here are five... https://www.scmp.com/culture/arts-entertainment/article/2145117/wholl-be-next-lil-tay-five-wholesome-asian-child?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/culture/arts-entertainment/article/2145117/wholl-be-next-lil-tay-five-wholesome-asian-child?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 08 May 2018 05:16:06 +0000 The battle in the skies to see which airline can provide the longest non-stop flight has been taken a step further with Singapore Airlines’ announcement last week that it will launch a 19-hour flight from Singapore to New York before the end of 2018. It’s the latest step in an ongoing contest between airlines as to who can provide the longest non-stop flight, with Qatar Airways holding the current record at 18 hours, and Qantas launching its own 17-hour direct flight in March. The secret to... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/2144142/five-longest-non-stop-flights-world-revised-mars-next?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/2144142/five-longest-non-stop-flights-world-revised-mars-next?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 May 2018 05:00:53 +0000 The growth of artificial intelligence (AI) worldwide in the coming decades is a given and China is at the forefront of it all. China’s State Council laid out an ambitious AI strategic plan in July 2017 to create a domestic 1 trillion yuan (US$147.80 billion) AI industry and make China the world’s leading AI innovation centre by 2030. It’s early days yet, but the Chinese population’s eagerness to embrace new technologies, along with supportive government policies and budget, mean that AI... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/2143088/five-jobs-likely-be-replaced-future-artificial-intelligence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/2143088/five-jobs-likely-be-replaced-future-artificial-intelligence?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Apr 2018 10:33:10 +0000 It was announced this week that stackable units converted from shipping containers are to be erected in Hong Kong for the first time to create cheap alternative housing. This new form of housing will be used in Sham Shui Po, a largely residential district that is the poorest in Hong Kong, to help provide homes for needy families. The container homes will serve as temporary housing for some 100 families for up to two years. Three blocks of the prefabricated modular housing units will be built on... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/2142632/six-ways-solve-hong-kong-housing-problem-water-pipes-plastic-bottles?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/2142632/six-ways-solve-hong-kong-housing-problem-water-pipes-plastic-bottles?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Apr 2018 11:48:47 +0000 It’s hard to think of any celebrity with a bigger affinity for their pets than Britain’s Queen Elizabeth with her love of corgi dogs. The monarch’s long-standing love affair with the breed was brought to a sad end this week when her last remaining corgi, Willow, had to be put down at nearly 15 years old after suffering from cancer. The queen got her first corgi, Susan, on her 18th birthday in 1944, and has had 30 of them in the years since. However, in 2015 she decided to stop breeding them... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/2142395/five-facts-about-corgis-favourite-dog-britains-queen-elizabeth-who-bade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/2142395/five-facts-about-corgis-favourite-dog-britains-queen-elizabeth-who-bade?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Apr 2018 05:01:45 +0000 It’s a question constantly in the minds of many Hongkongers: which districts offer the best value for money when it comes to renting? As areas become gentrified, more accessible or fall out of favour, rents are subject to fluctuations over time. New research based on algorithms taking into account past movements in Hong Kong’s residential property market indicates which neighbourhoods will see the greatest rises and falls in rent in 2018. Data from online property listings firm Spacious is based... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/2132089/ho-man-tin-and-shouson-hill-tipped-hong-kongs-highest-residential-rent?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/2132089/ho-man-tin-and-shouson-hill-tipped-hong-kongs-highest-residential-rent?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Feb 2018 01:00:40 +0000 Making a 12-hour round trip from Foshan in Guangdong to Hong Kong for violin lessons is admirable – but doing it when you are blind is inspiring. Blind Hong Kong student who reads Braille with her lips wins full scholarship for UK studies Ding Yijie, 17, has been making this arduous journey from the southern Chinese province since September 2017, when she began taking lessons with Professor Michael Ma at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts in Wan Chai. A classical violinist, she is allowed... https://www.scmp.com/culture/music/article/2128599/blind-chinese-teen-violinist-who-commutes-12-hours-lessons-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/culture/music/article/2128599/blind-chinese-teen-violinist-who-commutes-12-hours-lessons-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Jan 2018 10:45:15 +0000 It’s hard work running a successful business in Hong Kong, but for Andy Neilson it’s child’s play. The former British Royal Marine is the man behind toy shop King & Country, in Pacific Place, Admiralty, which sells a wide range of miniature figures, including historically accurate military figures and a range that brings the streets of old Hong Kong back to life. The shop has been in business for four decades, constantly introducing new figures. Its latest series, the Battle of Hong Kong,... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/2120869/battle-hong-kong-toy-soldiers-19th-century-streets-miniature-toy-shop?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/2120869/battle-hong-kong-toy-soldiers-19th-century-streets-miniature-toy-shop?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Nov 2017 10:30:39 +0000 [First published on 17 December, 2011] They’re uncomfortable, they’re too small and they’ve been used at King George V School in Ho Man Tin for 45 years. But yesterday the school found a novel way of saying farewell to its 1,500 old wooden chairs – by using them in a world record attempt. They were set out in lines of 50 across the soccer pitch for an assault on the record for simultaneous planking. The current world’s best for the craze – in which participants imitate awooden plank by lying... https://www.scmp.com/presented/news/topics/esf-first-50-years-news/article/2102382/students-take-record-bid-lying-down?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/presented/news/topics/esf-first-50-years-news/article/2102382/students-take-record-bid-lying-down?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Jul 2017 09:15:30 +0000 It was another case of Groundhog Day for South Africa at the Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens, despite the fact they won some silverware last night. As usual, it wasn't the kind they were looking for. The Blitzbokke arrived in Hong Kong on top of the HSBC Sevens World Series standings and making confident noises about winning in Hong Kong for the first time ever. In the end, it was the same old story - an early exit from the Cup competition and a prize they didn't want. Their 19-14 win over... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/sevens/article/1461221/south-africa-beat-wales-win-plate-regret-losing-world-series-lead?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/sevens/article/1461221/south-africa-beat-wales-win-plate-regret-losing-world-series-lead?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 30 Mar 2014 15:45:30 +0000 England pulled off the shock of the tournament by beating the defending Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens champions Fiji, 17-7, in the Cup semi-finals. The English will now face New Zealand in the Hong Kong title decider after the All Blacks Sevens dispatched Australia 19-7 in their semi-final clash. Two tries from Gillies Kaka helped see the New Zealanders through. It was a bitter pill for Fiji coach Ben Ryan to take. The Englishman had been in charge of the England sevens squad for more... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1461048/england-stun-fiji-set-title-decider-against-new-zealand?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1461048/england-stun-fiji-set-title-decider-against-new-zealand?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 30 Mar 2014 10:15:30 +0000