Showing 1 - 10 of 442
Extravagant opera costumes up for auction
AFP, Published on 12/02/2026
» GENEVA - Sandra Delpierre’s fingers linger on a long blue and white fur coat and graze a pair of angel wings as she winds past thousands of colourful costumes used in opera performances.
'Artists of steel': Japanese swords forge new fanbase
AFP, Published on 11/02/2026
» MISATO, SAITAMA (JAPAN) - Sparks illuminate the soot-covered studio of Japanese swordsmith Akihira Kawasaki as his apprentice hammers red-hot steel, showcasing a millennium-old craft now enjoying a resurgence in popularity.
Trump says closing Kennedy Center arts complex for two years
AFP, Published on 02/02/2026
» WASHINGTON (UNITED STATES) - US President Donald Trump announced Sunday he is closing the Kennedy Center arts complex in Washington for two years, beginning on July 4 -- the nation's 250th anniversary -- for a thorough renovation.
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.
Trump embraces AI deepfakes in political messaging
AFP, Published on 15/01/2026
» WASHINGTON - From playing football in the Oval Office to sipping cocktails on a sun lounger in Gaza and attacking critics from a fighter jet, Donald Trump has become the first US president to deploy AI-generated imagery as a key tool of political communications.
Trump-hosted Kennedy Centre awards gala ratings plummet
AFP, Published on 01/01/2026
» WASHINGTON — Donald Trump joked about quitting as United States president if his hosting of the annual Kennedy Centre awards went well.
Upstart gangsters shake Japan's yakuza
AFP, Published on 19/12/2025
» TOKYO - When Takanori Kuzuoka began climbing the criminal career ladder, he didn't fancy joining Japan's old-school yakuza, with their tattoos, rigid hierarchy and codes of honour.
Oscars to stream exclusively on YouTube from 2029
AFP, Published on 18/12/2025
» LOS ANGELES (UNITED STATES) - The Oscars will be shown only on YouTube from 2029, the Academy said Wednesday, in a radical gambit for a movie industry that remains wary of streaming platforms even as viewing habits shift online.
Swiss seek Unesco listing for yodelling
AFP, Published on 05/12/2025
» LUCERNE, Switzerland - Switzerland hopes to have yodelling recognised by the United Nations this month to help protect the ancestral sing-song tradition of the Alpine nation's herders and shepherds.
All eyes on Washington for World Cup draw
AFP, Published on 05/12/2025
» WASHINGTON - The draw for the 2026 World Cup takes place in Washington on Friday, with Donald Trump set to play a prominent part in a star-studded ceremony that will mark out the path to glory for contenders at the first-ever 48-team finals.