Showing 1 - 10 of 1,141
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.
The foreign POWs stuck in Ukrainian prison limbo
AFP, Published on 30/01/2026
» UNDISCLOSED (UKRAINE) — "Assemble!" someone bellowed in the prison corridor, cutting through the silence.
Submersibles revealing mysteries of the deep sea
AFP, Published on 26/01/2026
» ABOARD OCEANXPLORER, Indonesia - A dome-fronted submersible sinks beneath the waves off Indonesia, heading down nearly 1,000 metres in search of new species, plastic-eating microbes and compounds that could one day make medicines.
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.
Nostalgia and new fans as Tamagotchi turns 30
AFP, Published on 07/01/2026
» TOKYO - Japan's Tamagotchi toys were a 90s playground craze and the virtual pets that demand food and attention are still a hit among retro-loving Gen Z and nostalgic parents.
Best of frenemies: Saudi, UAE rivalry bursts into view
AFP, Published on 02/01/2026
» DOHA — For years, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia projected geopolitical and economic power across the Gulf and beyond, seemingly in tandem.
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.