Few cinematic stories are as life-affirming or tug as effectively at our heartstrings as those exploring the bond between humans and dogs. The unwavering loyalty and adoration of a faithful pup can melt even the hardest of hearts, making it little wonder that filmmakers continually return to the subject. This week sees the release of David Ayer’s Heart of the Beast, starring Brad Pitt as a retired US Special Forces officer stranded in the Alaskan wilderness alongside his loyal dog, Odin –...

Josh Cullen unapologetically clapped back at haters in his new single, "Like Me."

More than three years ago, I articulated concerns regarding the existential threat of artificial intelligence in a piece entitled “How Hong Kong can play a role in preventing AI Armageddon”. There is an increasing number of articles about exactly this. Here I concentrate on a more insidious encroachment on our humanity – how AI is capturing our creative expression and replacing us in a way that is making it harder to discern what is creatively human. As a scientist, my inclination is to filter...

MILAN — Most of Italy’s fashion elite gathered under one roof Tuesday for Vogue’s annual fashion spectacle in the historic Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II shopping arcade, featuring performances by Alicia Keys and Italian ballet star Roberto Bolle. Part runway show, part cultural performance, this year’s Vogue World highlighted Italian craftsmanship and human creativity in the age of artificial intelligence. Donatella Versace sat alongside Gucci's Demna, Balenciaga's Pierpaolo Piccioli and Valentino's Alessandro Michele – the latter three having recently completed a game of fashion house musical chairs. Miuccia Prada, Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana were also on hand for the event that celebrated the kind of handcraftsmanship that has put Italy at the center of luxury fashion. About half of the world’s luxury apparel, footwear and leather goods are produced in Italy. Gigi Hadid opened the evening gliding through the arcade in a gold brocade gown celebrating the Italian Renaissance. Jennifer Lopez, arriving with designers Dolce and Gabbana, took a turn in a black evening dress. Supermodel Eva Herzegova led a tribute to the late Giorgio Armani, who died last September. Many designer wears were recognizable as they blazed across the marble gallery floor on models, Italian celebrities and athletes — including trailing Moncler puffers, Prada’s banana-print button down shirt, a safety pin-cinched Versace evening gown, a Pucci print and a Bottega Veneta fiberglass coat. Keys closed the evening performing in a beaded dress with a regal train under the Galleria's glass dome. Bolle, who performed with dancers from La Scala's academy, presented her with a rose. Milan was the last of the four major fashion capitals to host the event, which launched in New York in 2022, followed by editions in London, Paris and Los Angeles. This edition raised money for a cultural center fostering fashion, music and artistic talent at the Quarto Oggiaro Library in northwestern Milan.

Chinese first lady Peng Liyuan has long been a symbol of China’s fashion soft power at high-profile global summits as she accompanies President Xi Jinping. She has eschewed Western luxury labels and logos in favour of chic local brands and modern Chinese styles – a well-tailored qipao, say, or elegant scarves and coats in formal yet feminine colours. Case in point: the outfit she wore as she stepped off the plane for the much-anticipated Xi-Trump meeting in the US on September 23. Her grey...

Comprising 100 performers, led by conductor Yan Huichang, “Thousand Reeds, One Universe” was both the beginning and the end. The concert on September 20 was the conclusion of the International Sheng and Reeds Festival 2026 and a successful commencement of the 2026/27 season of the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra (HKCO). Continuing the vision of the festival to forge a borderless world in harmony, the concert brought together a family of reed instruments from around China and the world, including the...