Showing 1 - 10 of 282
Sumo diplomacy: Japan's heavyweight 'soft power' ambassadors
AFP, Published on 30/01/2026
» TOKYO - Two giants stare each other down before colliding with a dull thud. After years on the sidelines, sumo is back centrestage as part of Japan's soft power arsenal overseas.
Japan's Olympic ice icons inspire new skating generation
AFP, Published on 28/01/2026
» TOKYO — Japan did not win an Olympic figure skating medal until 1992 but it is now among the sport's world powers, with kids dreaming of becoming the next Yuzuru Hanyu or Mao Asada.
China's Buddha artisans carve out a living from dying trade
AFP, Published on 19/01/2026
» SUZHOU, China - In a dimly lit workshop in eastern China, craftsman Zhang measured and shaped a block of wood into a foot as dozens of half-completed life-sized Buddha statues looked on silently.
Bondi shooters visited on Indian passports, says Philippines
AFP, Published on 16/12/2025
» MANILA — Philippine immigration authorities said the father and son accused of killing 15 people in Sydney visited the country last month and travelled on Indian passports.
China's rulers push party role before WWII anniversary
AFP, Published on 27/08/2025
» WUXIANG (CHINA) - An elderly Chinese war veteran's shin still bears the mark of a bullet wound he suffered when fighting the Japanese as a teenager, a year before the end of World War II.
Henderson earns win at home
Sports, AFP, Published on 26/08/2025
» Ontario — Brooke Henderson wiped away the memory of a difficult number of years on tour by winning her national open for the second time.
Olympic Council of Asia says Saudi Winter Games 'on schedule'
AFP, Published on 25/08/2025
» HONG KONG - The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) says that preparations for the 2029 Asian Winter Games in Saudi Arabia are "on schedule" after South Korea and China emerged as potential replacements.
Trump tariff threat clouds final day of BRICS summit
AFP, Published on 08/07/2025
» RIO DE JANEIRO (BRAZIL) - US President Donald Trump's decision to hit "anti-American" BRICS nations -- including China and India -- with an extra 10 percent trade tariff roiled the final day of the bloc's summit in Rio de Janeiro Monday.
'Simple Buddhist monk' Dalai Lama marks landmark 90th birthday
AFP, Published on 07/07/2025
» MCLEOD GANJ (INDIA) - Calling himself a "simple Buddhist monk" who usually didn't celebrate birthdays, the Dalai Lama marked his 90th on Sunday by praying for peace after China insisted it would have the final say on who succeeded the Tibetan spiritual leader.
‘Companions’ ease pain of China’s busy, bewildering hospitals
AFP, Published on 24/06/2025
» BEIJING - At a bustling Beijing hospital, Tian Yigui hands over some of his elderly wife’s paperwork to Meng Jia, a “patient companion” hired to help navigate China’s stretched and bureaucratic healthcare system.