Showing 1 - 10 of 40
St Peter's Basilica gets terrace cafe, translated mass for 400th birthday
AFP, Published on 17/02/2026
» VATICAN CITY — Visitors to St Peter's Basilica will be able to follow mass in 60 languages and enjoy a coffee on a newly opened terrace as part of plans unveiled Monday by the Vatican.
Need to pee? Japan has a QR code for that
AFP, Published on 28/08/2025
» TOKYO - The Japanese toilet maker Toto has introduced a service allowing those caught short in public to locate the nearest washrooms and see how busy they are real-time with a phone and QR code.
France's Versailles unveils AI-powered talking statues
AFP, Published on 25/06/2025
» VERSAILLES (FRANCE) - Visitors to France's famed Palace of Versailles can now strike up a conversation with talking statues instead of listening to a traditional audio guide, as part of a new collaboration with artificial intelligence companies, the palace has said.
QR codes, shut metros: Police outline Paris Olympics security
AFP, Published on 29/11/2023
» PARIS - The Paris police chief has outlined drastic security measures for next year's summer Olympics, sparking an outcry from politicians Wednesday who said they were an attack on civic freedoms.
Diamond trade polishes its act as Russia sanctions loom
AFP, Published on 28/11/2023
» ANTWERP (BELGIUM) - As European capitals prepare to implement long-awaited sanctions on Russia's diamond exports, Belgian traders are bracing for new scrutiny of their industry.
Rugby pioneer Webb-Ellis embraced by French resting place
AFP, Published on 05/09/2023
» MENTON (FRANCE) - William Webb-Ellis may or may not have been the creator of rugby but the residents of the French Riviera town of Menton where he is buried have embraced the Englishman as one of their own.
QR code menus spark love-hate row in Rio, and beyond
AFP, Published on 09/06/2023
» RIO DE JANEIRO - Leafing through the leather-bound menu at a classic Rio de Janeiro restaurant, the tile-floored, wood-paneled Armazem Sao Thiago, 28-year-old Paula Cardoso says something that amounts to heresy in this establishment: "I prefer QR code menus."
What's in wine? Ingredient label debate rages
AFP, Published on 31/05/2023
» PARIS: European wines are finally being forced to reveal their ingredients to customers, but only on a website — not on the bottle. Environmental campaigners are unimpressed.
Cannes fans dig deep for black-market tickets
AFP, Published on 26/05/2023
» CANNES (FRANCE): Two thousand euros for the world premiere of the latest "Indiana Jones", or how about 20,000 for an evening in the presence of Leonardo DiCaprio?
Danish artist hatches epic global troll hunt
AFP, Published on 28/03/2023
» COPENHAGEN: A Danish artist famous for his towering wooden trolls sent fans on a worldwide quest on Monday to find his latest creation.