Showing 1 - 10 of 705
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.
South Korea police raid spy agency over drone flights into North
AFP, Published on 10/02/2026
» SEOUL - Investigators raided South Korea's spy agency on Tuesday as they probed possible government links to a drone shot down over North Korea earlier this year.
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.
South Korea's ex-first lady jailed for 20 months for taking bribes
AFP, Published on 28/01/2026
» SEOUL — A South Korean judge handed the country's former first lady Kim Keon Hee 20 months in jail for accepting lavish gifts from a cult-like church on Wednesday, but acquitted her for alleged stock manipulation and other charges.
US ouster of Maduro nightmare scenario for Kim: N. Korean ex-diplomat
AFP, Published on 28/01/2026
» SEOUL - The dramatic US operation that overthrew Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro this month may have left North Korean leader Kim Jong Un feeling he was also vulnerable to "decapitation", a former Pyongyang envoy to Havana told AFP.
South Korea's ex-leader Yoon faces first court verdict over martial law chaos
AFP, Published on 16/01/2026
» SEOUL - A South Korean court will rule Friday on whether former president Yoon Suk Yeol obstructed justice during his disastrous martial law declaration and in its chaotic aftermath, the first in a series of verdicts for the disgraced ex-leader.
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.
Japan, South Korea leaders drum up viral moment with K-pop jam
AFP, Published on 14/01/2026
» TOKYO - Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi played two K-pop songs during a post-summit drumming session with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, who joked he felt "a little awkward" in front of the former heavy metal band member.