Life Style

Singer and actress IU has gifted fans a surprise set of selfies, sparking speculation about a potential comeback.Earlier this week, IU shared 17 photos to her personal social media account with the caption, “May is coming.”The post included a mix of behind-the-scenes moments on set and close-up selfies showcasing her flawless, make-up-free complexion.One image in particular captured fans’ attention: IU wearing a headset in what appears to be a recording studio, deeply focused on something off-camera.In one image, IU is wearing a headset in what appears to be a recording studio. Photo: Instagram/dlwlrma

In the kitchen of the historic Korea House in Seoul, chef Cho Hee-sook – the “godmother of Korean cooking” – is deftly massaging three batches of blanched spinach, and seasoning each emerald bundle with doenjang (soybean paste), ganjang (soy sauce) and gochujang (chilli bean paste), the holy trinity of Korean fermented sauces.“Some people just assume the Korean dining table is very meat heavy because Korean barbecue is so popular,” she says, without breaking her rhythm as she works the different sauces into the spinach. “But, actually, much of the Korean territory is mountainous, and we get a lot of different vegetables.”The season of spring greens, known as bom-namul, is highly anticipated in Korea; it is a time where a glorious bounty of herbaceous, sweet, nutty and bitter plants with co...

Author Dennis Tafoya remembers his time working in accident and emergency in a hospital in Doylestown, Philadelphia, in the 1980s.One night, a call came in about a fire at a farmhouse-turned-meth lab, but when doctors attempted to help, the burn victim refused care and eventually died.“It got me thinking about who ends up in a burning meth lab in the middle of the night,” said Tafoya in a recent call with Philadelphia newspaper The Inquirer.That incident was the seed of the idea that, decades later, became Tafoya’s 2009 novel Dope Thief. It has since been adapted into a series of the same name on Apple TV+, written, directed, and executive produced by Peter Craig – who co-wrote the screenplay for 2010 crime thriller The Town – and executive produced by legendary filmmaker Ridley Scott.Scot...

3.5/5 starsIn Vital Signs, the converging career paths of two ambulance paramedics at very different stages in their lives provide the unusual backdrop for a soul-searching drama rooted in today’s Hong Kong, with characters pondering the essence of home as they reluctantly face a wave of emigration from the city.The fourth feature by writer-director Cheuk Wan-chi and her first since the 2014 comedy Temporary Family, Vital Signs comes across as a notably more mature work by the multi-hyphenate who is also known as a stand-up comedian – even if its themes are not always as tightly woven as they could be.When we first meet Louis Koo Tin-lok’s veteran ambulanceman Ma Chi-yip, he is not responding to emergencies at some chaotic disaster scene but quietly fielding the latest appeal from his visi...

Northwest England, October 1957. A fire breaks out in the Windscale reactor on the site of the nuclear complex now known as Sellafield. Radioactive gases contaminate an area of several hundred square kilometres. A number of people die in the accident.Based on this real event, the British development studio Rebellion has created a fictional scenario for the PC and console game Atomfall. Set in 1962, five years after the Windscale fire, the story is even darker and grimmer than the reality.In this action-survival game, you explore a post-apocalyptic northern England full of horror, secrets and uncertainty. People are suspicious, supplies are scarce and dangers lurk everywhere.You will encounter numerous characters on your journey, some of whom are helpful and informative, while others have i...

Tackling health and lifestyle issues could prevent thousands of cardiac arrests – in which the heart suddenly stops beating – a new study suggests.People who were more educated also seemed less prone to cardiac arrest, the study, published in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology, suggested, while poor sleep patterns and a lack of exercise could be detrimental.A cardiac arrest usually happens without warning, causing sudden collapse and rendering the person unconscious and unable to breathe or breathe normally. Without immediate treatment, people die.Maintaining a positive mood can lower your risk of sudden cardiac arrest. Photo: ShutterstockThe latest study identified 56 risk factors associated with sudden cardiac arrest and found up to 63 per cent of cases might be avoidable.

After making waves in a gritty, adult-rated school action drama on Korean streaming platform Wavve, the second season of 2022 sensation Weak Hero has found new life and greater exposure under the wing of streaming giant Netflix.Weak Hero Class 2 wasted no time igniting buzz with its April 25 release – not just in Korea, but across Asia and Latin America – signalling a dramatic leap from domestic hit to international phenomenon.The series soared to No 1 in Netflix’s non-English-language content category in 32 countries.Based on the hit webtoon of the same name, Weak Hero follows the story of Yeon Si-eun, a model student born physically weak but fiercely intelligent, who mastered the art of fighting from a young age.Singer and actor Park Ji-hoon, taking the title role, reunites with the orig...

After having lived a little moreWhen I stand at the edge of deathWill I be able to thinkThat I truly held life tight (through writing).So begins “After Having Lived a Little More”, a contemplative two-page essay by Han Kang that drifts between lyrical poetry and prose.This brief meditation on the act of writing graces the final pages of the South Korean author’s latest book, Light and Thread, her first publication since winning the Nobel Prize in Literature in October 2024.

A man with a life-threatening peanut allergy is living a near-normal life after taking part in a “life-changing” study which gradually saw him exposed to peanuts.Richard Lassiter’s allergy is so severe that he has been admitted to hospital many times after accidentally eating peanuts.But now the 44-year-old eats four peanuts each morning which he said is like “taking his medicine”.Experts say that previous desensitisation studies are focused on children, so adults with a peanut allergy are not offered this type of treatment.18 adults with a peanut allergy were successfully desensitised to peanuts in the new study. Photo: AFPBut the new study indicates that this could be a potential treatment for adults moving forward.Health officials say the trial gives hope to thousands of people....

Galle Fort, a Unesco World Heritage site on the southwest coast of Sri Lanka, is a beautiful and well preserved gateway to the country’s colonial past and cultural richness.Built by the Portuguese in 1588, it was fortified extensively by the Dutch in the 17th century and later influenced by the British. Its blend of diverse European and South Asian architectural styles is one of Galle Fort’s most captivating features.The fort’s thick walls, built of coral and granite, have withstood centuries of tropical weather and historical tumult.Once a hub of maritime trade, Galle Fort played a key role in connecting Sri Lanka with the world. Today it is a vibrant community where colonial-era buildings stand alongside bustling cafes, boutiques and art galleries.An example of this mix is Fort Bazaar, a...