The history of the betel nut, also known as the areca nut, stretches further back than previously thought. New research suggests that people on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi were enjoying its mind-altering effects as long as 25,000 years ago. The discovery began with two ancient skeletons whose teeth bore curious, deep grooves. Australian archaeologists suspected these were the result of repeatedly sucking on whole betel nuts. Chemical analysis subsequently detected traces of arecoline, the...

As winter draws closer in some places and darker mornings become part of the daily routine, getting out of bed can feel more difficult than ever. Psychotherapist Shazna Khanom, head of clinical mental health at healthcare company Bupa in the UK, explains that the shorter days and reduction of daylight during autumn and winter can have a significant impact on our energy levels. “The darkness doesn’t just impact people’s mood – it can also change their energy levels and make them feel slower,” she...

Flow chefs Gabriel “Gato” Co and Kevin Jonathan Uy said they were in disbelief after their restaurant received a One Michelin Star.

From garish, grotesque figures to bloodied installations, these Filipino artists find beauty, humor, and uncomfortable truths in the dark

In Cantonese cuisine, the quality of the ingredients matters as much as the skill that goes into preparing them. At Crystal Dragon, the fine-dining Chinese restaurant at City of Dreams Manila, this philosophy takes shape in a refreshed a la carte menu that brings time-honored specialties together with new culinary creations. Known for its refined

Skin recovery took center stage at a gathering of dermatologists, cosmetic surgeons and aesthetic practitioners in Taguig City, where a discussion on barrier care connected skincare science with the experiences and professional interests of the medical community. Held on October 21 at the Intramuros Tent of Manila House Private Club in Bonifacio Global City, the roundtable discussion brought together the Pan Pacific Aesthetic Institute Foundation, Lamelex, Golden Visa Central and Manila House. Their collaboration provided a setting for scientific learning, professional exchange and conversations about opportunities beyond clinical practice. For the beauty discussion, the emphasis was on caring for the skin barrier, particularly after dermatologic and aesthetic procedures. Dr. Finesse Angelica Evangelista addressed this in her presentation, “The Science of Recovery: Optimizing Barrier Repair in Post-Procedure and Compromised Skin.” Her discussion underscored the importance of skin barrier integrity in supporting recovery. It also placed barrier-focused care within a professional conversation about the needs of skin following procedures or when its condition is compromised. That focus is central to Lamelex’s approach. The brand presented its multi-lamellar vesicle technology, a skincare delivery approach designed to support the skin’s natural barrier structure and in­gre­­­­d­ient delivery. Its professional skincare offe­rings combine formulations and protocols intended for barrier-focused care. The technology formed part of the brand’s showcase, which included professional skincare products, testers, merchandising and educational materials. These gave participants opportunities to explore its approach to skin barrier care alongside the scientific discussion. Medical professionals also received product kits for further exploration and evaluation in their respective practices. Catherine Andres-Gamo, chief exe­cutive officer of Pretty Skin Lamelin Philippines, expanded the conversation from products to advocacy. Sha­ring Lamelex’s commitment to scientific education, skincare innovation and collaboration with the medical community, she encouraged participants to become skin barrier advocates. Her message called for greater awareness of barrier-first skincare in clinical practice, linking the brand’s educational efforts with the professionals who assess and care for patients’ skin. The evening brought that advocacy into direct conversation with dermatologists, cosmetic surgeons and other aesthetic practitioners. The foundation, meanwhile, provided a platform for professional exchange within the aesthetic medical community. Manila House hosted the gathering, bringing professionals from different fields into a shared setting for learning and relationship building. Alongside the skincare discussions, Golden Visa Central founder and president Vicky Luis introduced international investment opportunities and wealth diversification. Her presentation offered participants perspectives on long-term financial planning beyond their clinical work, extending the evening’s scope to their broader professional and personal interests. The gathering linked these different areas through partnerships among the foundation’s leadership, Golden Visa Central, Manila House and the Lamelex team. Each contributed expertise to a forum that combined clinical interests with opportunities for professional growth. For Lamelex, the continuing direction is to build its community of skin barrier advocates through scientific education and continued collaboration with medical professionals. The roundtable provided one setting for that exchange, bringing its products, technology and barrier-care message to practitioners who could explore and evaluate them for use in their respective practices.

Jewelry passed from mother to daughter carries more than gemstones and gold. For designer Kristine Dee, it also holds the stories behind each piece, including her mother’s purchase to celebrate a hard-earned business deal. Those personal connections inspire “Modern Heirloom,” one of three chapters in “The Woman Within,” her collection exploring the different sides of a woman through fine jewelry. Its three chapters, “Modern Heirloom,” “Quiet Strength” and “Playful Femininity,” move from sentiment to assurance to joy. Each reflects a side of a woman that Dee has observed in her clients and herself. “They try out other styles which are not their usual, and the choice follows their emotions, what they felt at that time, how that particular jewelry piece made them feel when worn. Each capsule collection shows the different versions we, as women, find ourselves in.” For “Modern Heirloom,” Dee draws on her mother Elizabeth’s practice of passing jewelry to her daughters, along with the memories behind it. Among them is a piece Elizabeth bought after closing a business deal she had worked hard to secure. “It is not just the piece that she shared, but the story that comes with them,” Dee says. That sense of continuity takes shape in classic gemstones and versatile designs. Multicolored sapphire and diamond necklaces hang from substantial gold-ball chains. A pearl necklace features diamonds and a detachable kunzite centerpiece, allowing the wearer to move between dressier and more casual looks. “Quiet Strength” turns toward architecture, emphasizing line, proportion and structure. Smooth gold surfaces, curves and carefully placed diamonds give rings and cuffs their presence. Dee’s background in industrial design informs this attention to form and how a piece sits on the body. “Each millimeter matters,” she says. A softer mood emerges in “Playful Femininity.” Mint tourmaline, pink spinel and diamonds appear in linked elements that sway with the wearer, while a coordinating ring allows for stacking. Elsewhere, a hand-carved mother-of-pearl ribbon flows into waves of rubies and diamonds. Across the collection, gemstones are set in 14-karat and 18-karat white, yellow and rose gold. Many designs bear the names of loyal clients, relatives and friends, extending the personal connections behind the jewelry. For Dee, their place is in everyday wardrobes. Statement necklaces can accompany a tank top and jeans or a dress, while rings and cuffs can be layered to suit the day. “The best way to style fine jewelry for a woman is based on her lifestyle and personality, so she can reach for them day after day, comfortably and confidently, and wear them in more ways than one.” The collection is available at the Kristine Dee showroom in BGC, Taguig City, with resizing and customization offered. A Power Plant Mall pop-up runs from Nov. 7 to Jan. 28, 2027, bringing the collection’s expressions of memory, strength and joy into women’s daily choices.

In 2010, Jojo Javelosa and Chef Bambi Javelosa exchanged vows in a wedding ceremony at Santuario de San Antonio in Forbes Park, Makati City. Sixteen years later, the couple marked their wedding anniversary with an intimate gathering at the social hall of Garden Towers East in Makati City, surrounded by fami­ly and friends. The celebration was officiated by Papal Nuncio Archbishop Charles John Brown and Fr. Rito Ybañez.  Guests enjoyed an array of dishes prepared by Chef Bambi’s catering team. The menu featured pasta, callos, lengua, sun-dried tomato pasta, angus salpicao and giant prawns.  Adding a Broadway touch to the celebration, Franco Laurel and his family entertained guests with a musical number. In a delightful surprise, Bambi joined them onstage, sharing the spotlight and adding a personal touch to the performance.  After dinner, guests took to the dance floor to music spun by DJ Chinky Carpio.  The evening brought together food, music and fellowship as Jojo and Bambi celebrated 16 years of marriage and the journey they continue to share with family and friends.

We live in a vastly different world now than we did when “Glee” ended—a reboot would be nearly impossible to pull off

The psychology behind paranormal experiences and what it teaches us about our culture

How bonding over yakiniku and childhood shows made SB19 and Kento Nakajima’s collab more personal

Din Tai Fung debuts new ube XLB, The Matcha Tokyo teams up with Ramen Ron, and 8Cuts rolls out a smashing good cheeseburger

Stem cells, exosomes, and the promise of regenerative medicine: what works, what is still experimental, and what this means for our health and aging

Tourists began arriving in Boracay as vacationers looked forward to spending the Undas long weekend on the island.

Cellist Đinh Hoài Xuân will make history as the first female Asian cellist to perform a cello duet with Mischa Maisky, regarded as one of the world's greatest living cellists.

November promises to be a remarkably busy month for K-drama fans, offering a wealth of choices that include the year’s biggest fantasy epic and two sequel seasons to recent hits. Here is what to watch over the coming month. 1. The Remarried Empress Lead cast: Shin Min-a, Ju Ji-hoon, Lee Jong-suk, Lee Se-young November’s splashiest show is undoubtedly the big-budget adaptation of the fantasy romance webtoon The Remarried Empress. Shin Min-a plays Navier, the beautiful empress of the Eastern...

A one-year-old boy, Jay (not his real name), who was born with a lump on his head and missing toes and fingers, received help from the GMA Kapuso Foundation.

Hong Kong cinema has always thrived on a certain kind of beautiful madness – precisely the quality local audiences cherish most. However, when the Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (Cepa) opened the mainland Chinese market to Hong Kong co-productions in 2004, cross-border film collaborations surged. Hong Kong filmmakers zealously partnered with mainland companies, drawn by bigger budgets, lower production costs and the prospect of reaping financial rewards from a massive new audience. But...

Tuấn will be the first artist to stage a musical event at the venue with Circus of Friends. The concert will serve as a farewell to 2026, bringing the singer and his audience together in an intimate musical setting.

Andrea Brillantes has addressed the rumored rift between her and Bea Borres, revealing they've already talked about the issue privately.

[The content of this article has been produced by our advertising partner.] Madrid may be known as a city destination, but beyond its immediate hub there is much to embrace, taste and live. Europe’s beating heart deserves its unspoken, vibrant pulse to be felt, and its rhythm to course through the soul. For the discerning global traveller, Madrid unfolds, layer upon layer, to reveal a choreography of culture, heritage and modern indulgence. Time must be spent here to explore, discover,...

Hong Kong welcomes a wave of new restaurants in November, including several international debuts. Food lovers can look forward to the relocation of a popular French concept, a premium hotpot joint with exclusive recipes, and much more. Hong Kong’s cafe scene also has some new additions, including a viral bakery from overseas and a Japanese pastry collaboration. There are also some innovative multi-concept bars that aim to redefine Hong Kong nightlife. Read on to discover more. 1. Bar...

Nadine Samonte and her husband, Richard "Rboy" Chua, have renewed their vows on their 13th wedding anniversary!

Combining bamboo circus, expressive stage movements and live music performed on more than 30 traditional musical instruments from Việt Nam’s ethnic groups, Làng Tôi transforms the simple bamboo pole into a storytelling medium.

NEW YORK — Companies around the world are increasingly citing artificial intelligence when slashing jobs, fueling anxiety that a lot more workers may lose their livelihoods to machines. Microsoft, Barclays Bank and supermarket chain Kroger are among the latest entries on a growing list of companies that have announced AI-related workforce reductions this year, including the elimination of jobs deemed redundant or shed to free up money for investing in the technology. But the job cuts of the AI era, which are affecting tens of thousands of people, occasionally have an epilogue. Some companies, after discovering that AI models, applications and agents don't perform as well as expected, end up rehiring laid-off workers to fill eliminated positions. It's unclear how common such reversals are, but they are happening often enough to acquire a nickname: the "AI boomerang." "Two years ago, we said, 'Would this happen?' and now we're saying, 'Yes, it is happening in real time,'" said Lucy Beaumont, a global senior vice president at SHL, a U.K.-based technology company that develops employment-related tests and tools. Hiring managers in fields including finance, marketing, law and health reported earlier this year that their companies had eliminated positions primarily because of AI or automation, only to hire again for the same or similar roles, according to recruitment and staffing firm Robert Half. The most frequently cited reasons for restoring dropped jobs included the technology needing more human oversight than anticipated and its inability to replicate institutional knowledge, the firm said. "When you need critical thinking, collaboration, creativity, institutional knowledge, those are things that AI just can't replicate," Bill Driscoll, a senior district president at Robert Half, said. "And I think that's where companies are starting to realize, 'Wow, we really do need people to do these jobs.'" Klarna, the Swedish provider of buy now, pay later services, began recruiting human customer service representatives again last year. CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski acknowledged in an interview with Bloomberg News that the company's reliance on an AI chatbot to cut costs had gone too far. In June, Ford said it had hired or promoted 350 veteran engineers after AI tools the automaker deployed to do quality control work did not perform at the expected level. "AI utilization has been an important part of our quality gains and that — along with deep technical expertise of our teams — is a powerful combination," a Ford spokesperson told The Associated Press. However, companies don't always broadcast their U-turns on shifting resources or responsibilities from employees to AI systems, Beaumont said. "Maybe their shareholders love that they did this right-sizing motion... and then they have to turn around and quietly, with their tail between their legs, admit that they weren't ready for that or they shouldn't have done that," she said. Management experts offered employment advice for workers as companies make greater use of AI tools and consider — or reconsider — their staffing needs while assessing the technology's capabilities. Rehiring suggests the invisible work of humans is not easily replaced When companies use AI to perform tasks previously done by people, they often miss the invisible work employees do beyond their formal job descriptions, said Betsy Summers, a principal analyst on the Future of Work team at market research and advisory firm Forrester. That might include sensing emotions and moods, holding impromptu meetings and putting in extra effort when feeling inspired or otherwise motivated, Summers said. "We don't know all the work that's required to do things well within the organization," she said. "The citizenship behaviors of team cohesion and team building and making sure that you have trust within your team, none of that is accounted for. So when you rip out humans who are doing that work and then expect agents to be able to then deliver exactly what humans have delivered, they are frequently mistaken." Another factor that complicates assigning more work to AI-powered tools is that company procedures for tasks such as data processing and bookkeeping are not always well documented, experts said. "Organizations are not spending enough time doing the up-front work to really truly understand workflows and where humans add value in the process," said Brooks Holtom, a professor of management at Georgetown University's McDonough School of Business. In roles such as customer service, AI agents and chatbots frequently need to refer questions and complaints to a worker who can recognize emotions, assess the severity or complexity of a problem and respond creatively within established policies, Holtom said. "It's that combination of creativity but staying in the guardrail that's really hard for a machine to figure out," he said. Figure out what gives you a competitive edge as a human As companies redirect resources toward AI, current employees and those asked to come back might want to emphasize skills that complement the technology, such as emotional intelligence and sound judgment, Holtom said. "Really try to be able to articulate, what's your value proposition as a human?" Holtom said. "Don't be afraid to lean into the technology as well, and understand how to differentiate yourself from what machines do well. Embrace that, understand that, and you can become uniquely qualified to help with implementation." Empathy is a human quality that technology has not fully mastered, Beaumont said. "Think about an angry customer. They want to be listened to, they want to be heard, they really want a human on the other end of the line," Beaumont said. "Can an AI replace that right now in a way that feels meaningful to individuals? Perhaps not." Know your leverage and use caution if you're asked back Many people are understandably reluctant to return to a company that laid them off as part of a reorganization around artificial intelligence, according to Beaumont. "To come back to a business where you've been let go, replaced by AI, to be asked back to that business, your trust is gone, your psychological safety there, your relationship with the employer, and that's very, very difficult to build back," she said. Workers offered their old jobs back are asking for more money and to know how AI might impact future staffing, Beaumont said. Requesting additional training and a clear explanation of your opportunities for advancement could be part of the discussion, she said. Communicate ways you would contribute value as a returning employee, outlining a new job description "that leverages the technology but also your expertise," Holtom said. You could end up in a higher-ranking position that pays more than the one you left, he said. Before accepting an offer, seek a commitment such as a one-year renewable contract that includes a buyout clause if the job is terminated in less than a year, Holtom suggested. Don't discount the distinctly human values of motivation and curiosity, which make people efficient and effective, Summers said. "Within our societies, work serves a broader purpose than just creating value for shareholders or customers or constituents," she added. "Work serves a human purpose as well. It's the manifestation of our search for meaning and purpose. We want to contribute to our communities as human beings."

Rere Madrid marked her first month as a mother as she shared a heartfelt message for her baby boy, Atlas.

The series aims to bring local history and culture, as well as images of scenic sites, to a wider online audience.

MANILA, Philippines — Butcher Boy has earned a Bib Gourmand distinction in the 2027 Michelin Guide Philippines, moving up from its Michelin-Selected status in the 2026 edition and joining a select group of restaurants recognized for serving quality food at accessible prices.  The recognition was announced during the official awarding ceremony at the Manila Marriott Hotel on Thursday, Oct. 29, attended by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.  Butcher Boy was among only two restaurants promoted from the Michelin-Selected category to Bib Gourmand this year. The distinction recognizes establishments that offer good-quality food at reasonable prices.  Butcher Boy Philippines CEO Dino Chua received the award, marking another milestone for the restaurant, which has continued to establish its presence in the local dining scene.  The recognition follows the restaurant's opening of its new and expanded location at Alabang West Parade along Daang Hari Road in Muntinlupa City in 2026. Led by Chua, the move marked a new chapter for the brand, allowing it to reach more diners in southern Metro Manila while maintaining its signature contemporary Asian-fusion cuisine.  Originally founded by Michelin-starred chef Andrew Walsh of Singapore's acclaimed Cure, Butcher Boy built its following at its former Makati location before relocating to Alabang to accommodate a bigger dining space and connect with a wider community.  Its culinary approach combines Southeast Asian flavors with Western cooking techniques, offering dishes such as its signature chicken laksa dumplings, fried chicken bao, Asian tacos, pork adobo and a variety of steaks, alongside carefully crafted cocktails.  The chicken laksa dumplings were among the dishes highlighted by Michelin inspectors.  During the restaurant's grand opening, Marketing Head Aubrey S. Mojica described its concept as “where east meets west,” emphasizing that while the menu had been expanded, the restaurant remained committed to preserving the quality, atmosphere and dining experience that patrons had come to expect.  Mojica also underscored the importance of customer service, saying the restaurant's identity goes beyond its food to include the experience it provides to diners.  With its latest Michelin recognition, Butcher Boy strengthens its position in the Philippine dining scene, bringing its combination of Asian-fusion flavors, steaks and accessible dining to the Alabang community.  Butcher Boy is located at Alabang West Parade, Daang Hari Road, Muntinlupa City. For reservations, call 0939-868-0531.

Through its performances, the concert aims to trace the evolution of Vietnamese culture from its roots to the present and future, connecting heritage values with contemporary creativity.

Two spectacular volcanic caves within the Krông Nô volcanic cave system have been officially designated as national heritage sites, marking a significant milestone for local geological conservation and sustainable tourism.