Showing 1 - 10 of 552
Hong Kong to sentence media mogul Jimmy Lai in national security trial
AFP, Published on 09/02/2026
» HONG KONG - Hong Kong pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai will be sentenced on Monday over national security crimes that could see him jailed for life, with some rights groups and Western nations still demanding his release.
Japan PM Takaichi basks in election triumph
AFP, Published on 09/02/2026
» TOKYO - Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi was savouring an election triumph on Monday, with her ruling coalition projected to have won a two-thirds majority in the powerful lower house.
Takaichi tipped for big win as Japan votes
AFP, Published on 08/02/2026
» TOKYO - Japan votes in snap elections Sunday with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi hoping to turn a honeymoon start into a resounding ballot box victory that could rile China and rattle financial markets.
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.
Polar bears bulk up despite melting Norwegian Arctic: study
AFP, Published on 30/01/2026
» PARIS (FRANCE) - Their icy hunting grounds are rapidly shrinking, but polar bears in Norway's remote Svalbard archipelago have defied the odds by bulking up instead of wasting away, a study said on Thursday.
Japan's beloved last pandas leave for China as ties fray
AFP, Published on 27/01/2026
» TOKYO — Two popular pandas are set to leave Tokyo for China Tuesday, leaving Japan without any of the beloved bears for the first time in 50 years as ties between the Asian neighbours fray.
Tokyo pandas head for China, leaving Japan bereft of beloved bears
AFP, Published on 27/01/2026
» TOKYO - Two hugely popular pandas are set to depart from a Tokyo zoo for China on Tuesday, leaving Japan without any of the beloved bears for the first time in more than 50 years.
K-Pop heartthrobs BTS to kick off world tour in April
AFP, Published on 14/01/2026
» SEOUL — K-Pop megastars BTS will kick off their first world tour in four years in April, their label said on Wednesday, part of a hotly-anticipated comeback following a hiatus for the South Koreans whose music has become a global phenomenon.
French museum fare hikes for non-European tourists spark outcry
AFP, Published on 13/01/2026
» PARIS — Should foreign tourists pay more for state-funded galleries than locals, or should art be accessible to all, without discrimination? France is hiking prices for non-Europeans at the Louvre this week, provoking debate about so-called "dual pricing".
Hong Kong court hears sentencing arguments for Jimmy Lai
AFP, Published on 12/01/2026
» HONG KONG - A Hong Kong court began hearing sentencing arguments on Monday for pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai, who was convicted of national security crimes that could land him in prison for life.